VIDEO: Britain Stronger in EU campaigners visit Sheffield

Britain Stronger In Europe will bring their new campaign to Yorkshire & the Humber. Leading Yorkshire MPs Rachel Reeves and Paul Blomfield will take the Ã¢Â¬ÃœBrighter Future INÃ¢Â¬" battle bus to universities and businesses across the region
Lord William Wallace, Rachel Reeves MP and Paul Blomfield MP in the labs at Sheffield Hallam University in support of the Stronger in Europe campaign
Picture Dean Atkins — Britain Stronger In Europe will bring their new campaign to Yorkshire & the Humber. Leading Yorkshire MPs Rachel Reeves and Paul Blomfield will take the Ã¢Â¬ÃœBrighter Future INÃ¢Â¬" battle bus to universities and businesses across the region Lord William Wallace, Rachel Reeves MP and Paul Blomfield MP in the labs at Sheffield Hallam University in support of the Stronger in Europe campaign Picture Dean Atkins

Sheffield Central MP Paul Blomfield arrived on a bus adorned in the colours of the Union Flag as he joined fellow MP Rachel Reeves and Lord William Wallace on a tour of Sheffield Hallam University’s Materials and Engineering Research Institute, MERI.

The Institute, which addresses industrial problems through science and engineering, has benefitted enormously from Britain being a part of the European Union. In the last five years it has secured some 16 EU-funded projects which have generated £13.5m in income.

Prof Alan Smith, director of MERI, said today that if Britain left the EU, it would be ‘impossible’ for them to support the city’s industries.

He said: “Companies can’t afford to buy the sophisticated kit that we have got, but we can give them access to it through EU funding initiatives.” Paul Blomfield called on Sheffielders to get behind the Stronger In campaign and insisted the younger generation needs to make sure that they use their vote for June’s referendum.

“Their vote is crucial – I don’t want them waking up on June 24 with our country having stumbled out of the EU because they didn’t use their chance to vote,” he said.

Ms Reeves added: “Young people need to be a part of this decision-making procress and they need to make their voices heard at the referendum.”

Meanwhile, Carl Chambers, the Yorkshire Chairman of Business for Britain, which is backing the Vote Leave counter-campaign, said: “The message to young people is if you want to have a secure and prosperous future, then the EU is not the place to be.”