A Tory peer has argued Brexit is a good thing because it will allow young people to work longer hours.
Lord Harris, a retail tycoon estimated to be worth more than £100m, claimed he could only employ staff for 35 hours a week under current EU laws.
However, the European Working Time Directive states employees should not be forced to work longer than 48 hours, and they can opt-out if they decide.
During an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Harris was asked to explain how leaving the EU would help young people.
He said: “It will give us more opportunity. It will give younger people more opportunity in this country and we won’t be controlled…”
When asked why, he replied: “Because we’ll have more freedom of laws.”
Asked what's wrong with the current laws, Lord Harris said: “Well if you take a retailer, we can only keep our staff on for 35 hours a week, I think it is now.”
After admitting "we haven't done too badly" when the presenter told him "you've done alright out of it," he added: "I just feel we would be better off out of the EU."
Lord Harris is now among the 1,000 richest people in the UK, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.
