Cameron Tells Bosses: Be Vocal On Brexit Risk

David Cameron has urged his closest business advisers to use the final two months before‎ the UK's EU referendum to warn publicly on the risks of Brexit despite growing signs that many of them are reluctant to do so.

Sky News understands that the Prime Minister used a meeting of his Business Advisory Group (BAG) on Thursday to say that leaving the European Union (EU) would cause severe damage to the UK economy.

"He said that the 'Leave' campaign had failed to articulate a positive message about what the UK would look like post-Brexit and made it clear that he expects us to speak out," said one of the people present at the meeting.

The group's members include pro-EU executives such as Carolyn McCall, the easyJet chief executive, the BP boss Bob Dudley and Andy Clarke, who runs Asda.

However, some of the attendees at Thursday's meeting, such as Steve Varley of the accountancy firm EY and Nigel Wilson, chief executive of Legal & General (LSE: LGEN.L - news) , have opted to maintain a broadly neutral position ahead of the referendum.

‎George Osborne, the Chancellor, and Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, were also present, with the agenda also covering the steel industry crisis and a forthcoming anti-corruption conference, according to insiders.

Mr Cameron has been accused of communicating an inconsistent message to the business community ahead of the referendum, initially being reported to have urged executives to refrain from speaking publicly on the issue.

In recent months he has changed course, ‎encouraging bosses to speak out at every opportunity.

The PM attended a fundraising‎ dinner for Britain Stronger in Europe on Wednesday night, which is understood to have seen hundreds of thousands of pounds pledged to the campaign.

A Downing Street spokesman confirmed that the meeting of the PM's advisors had taken place but declined to comment on the contents of the discussion.