Virgin faces backlash after it emerged Sir Richard Branson plans to bankroll a campaign to keep Britain in the EU

SIR RICHARD Branson’s Virgin empire faces a boycott after it emerged he plans to bankroll a secret Blairite campaign to keep Britain in the EU.

Furious Leave voters said they would never buy Virgin again as an email revealed the 'Bearded Billionaire’ had already pledged tens of thousands to fund the new group.

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A memo written by Alan Milburn – one of Tony Blair’s closest Cabinet allies - said: “Virgin… are keen to help… Since we last spoke [they] have offered a further £25K, plus bigger office space, help with legal advice and a possible secondment.”

The email also reveals Tony Blair’s new group has already been in contact with Europhile Lib Dem MP Nick Clegg, Labour’s Chuka Umunna and Bob Geldof.

The new organisation aims to bring together new and existing pressure groups and campaign to reverse the referendum decision after the government has revealed the contents of the deal.

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One Twitter user said: “Richard Branson is going to love it when Vote Leave start a mass boycott of his laughably overextended brand then.”

Another said: “Time for a mass boycott of anything to do with Branson and the Virgin Group.” One branded the Virgin tycoon a “fascist maggot”.

The campaign group is expected to launch early in the New Year in a bid to secure a second referendum on Brexit.

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Tony Blair’s office has vehemently dismissed any connection between the former PM and the new organisation – despite pals briefing at the weekend that he wanted to get involved in the “Brexit debate”.

But he plans to launch a not for profit institute in the New Year to influence the Brexit debate.

Leading Brexiteer, Steve Baker, used an article in the Sun today to slap down Remoaner Mr Blair for trying to keep Britain in the EU, and called on the country to support Theresa May.

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