Campaigners claim Yorkshire would reap jobs bonanza from a hard Brexit

The Change Britain campaign group argued EU research showed deals with just eight key trading partners would trigger a 400,000 jobs bonanza for Britain.

Deals with the six countries and trading blocs which have already expressed an interest in new agreements would create 240,000 jobs for Britain, including almost 16,000 for Yorkshire, Change Britain claimed.

Change Britain is campaigning for a so-called ‘hard Brexit’ where Britain leaves the European single market and customs union as it quits the EU.

Theresa May is facing pressure from some business groups to seek continued membership of the single market when she begins Brexit talks with Brussels in the coming weeks.

But critics of this ‘soft Brexit’ option argue that would leave Britain subject to EU rules and only a full withdrawal would allow the country to do its own trade deals.

Change Britain supporter Lord Digby Jones, a former director-general of the CBI business body, said: “‘The UK has a rich history as a great trading nation. It is therefore no surprise that a number of major economies have already expressed an interest in striking free trade agreements with us.

“The only way we can make the most of these huge opportunities is to leave the EU’s customs union and take back control of our trade policy. This will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in a range of industries right across the UK.”

Theresa May is due to begin negotiating Britain’s departure from the EU with Brussels by the end of March.

Key EU figures have already signalled they will resist any attempt by Britain to remain in the single market if it insists on imposing controls on free movement of European nationals.