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Tuesday 31 May 2016 11:32 am

JD Wetherspoon’s has taken its Brexit campaign to a new level as the company prints 200,000 beer mats

By: Francesca Washtell

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Pub chain JD Wetherspoon has just upped the ante in its steadfast campaign for Britain to vote to leave the EU.

Today, the pubs group announced its founder and chief executive Tim Martin has printed 200,000 beer mats calling for the UK to vote leave – taking aim at Christine Lagarde and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the process. 

The double-sided beer mats, which have a "hard-hitting" message on both sides, will be available in the company’s more than 900 pubs in the run-up to the referendum on 23 June.

Read more: Wetherspoon boss: EU is doomed because it lacks democracy

"At Wetherspoon, we sincerely respect and admire the French people and your country, but note that you are due to stand trial in France for your part in authorising a €400m payment by the French state to Bernard Tapie – a supporter of your political party," the mats start by saying, before questioning whether we should trust the IMF.

On the reverse side, the beer mat extends further questions to Lagarde, who has voiced support for Britain to remain in the EU, which include: “Is the governance of the IMF better than FIFA’s?”, “Did anyone elect you?” and “Has the IMF warned the Eurozone that no currency, in history, has survived without a single government?”

JD Wetherspoon chief Tim Martin has been a vocal opponent of the UK's membership of the EU. Last week, he announced he would undertake a pub crawl 100 of the company's pubs in the run-up to campaign personally for a Leave vote. 

The pub boss has also printed 280,000 copies of a special edition Wetherspoon News magazine on the EU, and 500,000 copies of an EU magazine showcasing the arguments of key figures of the Remain and Leave camps.

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