A delegation of German MPs visiting in London has talked with British officials to tell them about the serious consequences that would follow, if the country opted for leaving the European Union.

The delegation said if Britain left the EU, it would be disastrous for its economy.

“Losing the single market for the UK would be an economic disaster. Britain leaving [the EU] would weaken the European idea, but it would weaken Britain’s position in the world more,” said Gunther Krichbaum, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling CDU party.

He also argued that Britain would suffer a significant loss of global prestige if it left the EU club and stressed that “renegotiating the Lisbon Treaty is first of all legally impossible.”

“By the end of the 21st Century, Europe will account for only 4% of the global population,” he added. “We have to stand together.”

He also added that more business leaders in Britain needed to make the case for continued membership, reports BBC.

The German delegation’s statements come after a public warning from the US Assistant Secretary of European Affairs, Philip Gordon, that the US wanted UK to stay in the EU.

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