UK EU exit would be global economy 'shock' - G20 leaders

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From the section EU Referendum

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Media captionGeorge Osborne: "This is deadly serious. It's about people's jobs and their livelihoods"

Finance ministers from the world's leading economies have warned of a "shock" to the global economy if the UK leaves the EU.

The ministers gave their opinion in a statement released at the end of a two-day meeting of G20 nations in China.

Chancellor George Osborne, who is at the event, told the BBC the referendum issue was "deadly serious".

But UKIP's Nigel Farage said the G20 announcement was "no surprise" as it was "mates helping each other out".

"I'm not surprised that big government gets together to support David Cameron," he added.

"This is big banks, big business, big government all scratching each other's backs, I don't think that impresses voters."

UK, Chinese and American officials, and Christine Lagarde - head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - have been discussing key issues for the global economy during the G20 summit in Shanghai.

'Adventurous journey'

The outcome of the UK's in-out EU referendum has been mentioned among global risks to the world economy and is set to appear in the final communique, according to a draft seen by BBC News.

BBC Shanghai correspondent Robin Brant said the draft was not expected to change.

Officials travelling with Mr Osborne say this prominent mention of the UK's referendum in the final communique is unusual, but he has denied that he pushed for it.

G20 finance ministers — Image captionThe G20 summit began on Friday

The chancellor told the BBC: "The financial leaders of the world's biggest countries have given their unanimous verdict and they say that a British exit from the EU would be a shock to the world economy - and if it's a shock to the world economy imagine what it would do to Britain."

He added: "This isn't some adventurous journey into the unknown, with all the humour attached to it, this is deadly serious."

Elsewhere, Prime Minister David Cameron has arrived in Northern Ireland as part of his UK tour to persuade voters that membership of a reformed EU is in their best interests.

Analysis

By BBC Shanghai correspondent Robin Brant

With the gleaming early spring sunshine behind him, as he stood on the bank of Shanghai's Huangpu river, the chancellor said he was "deadly serious".

He's not the only one. It seems the other 19 leaders at the G20 agree about the "shock", as they've called it, if the UK walked out of the EU.

It's not a big surprise. The president of hosts China made it clear last year during his Chequers stay that he wants Britain 'In'.

But then again China doesn't really do intervention in domestic politics.

George Osborne will be pleased to have this significant and very public diplomatic backing as he sits on the plane back home tonight.

There's a whiff of the Scottish referendum campaign about it though, when various foreign leaders lined up behind the government position.

Asked if Mr Osborne or his officials had asked for the warning to be included in the statement, the chancellor said: "We've got countries around the table like the United States of America, like the IMF, like the Chinese who frankly don't do what anyone tells them to do and they."

A senior official from the Treasury told the BBC the chancellor's US counterpart had raised the issue during the meeting, as did others, including senior Chinese officials and Ms Lagarde.

US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew later urged UK voters to "consider the impact" of voting to leave, and told the BBC that the White House believed it was in the UK's "national security interests" to remain in the union.

'Out is out'

Meanwhile, London Mayor Boris Johnson has clarified his position on the idea that a vote to leave the EU could force Brussels to give Britain a better deal and trigger a second referendum.

Mr Johnson had previously suggested that only by voting to leave would the UK "get the change we need".

But in The Times, Mr Johnson stated categorically: "Out is out".

The UK will vote on whether to leave or remain in the EU on 23 June.