YORK'S tourism and manufacturing jobs could be at risk from a vote to leave the EU, a senior Labour politician has warned.

Chris Bryant MP, the shadow leader of the Commons, was in the city on Wednesday to speak to Science City York's (SCY) boss about the threat Brexit would pose to research and development at some of York's more innovative companies.

Meeting Heather Niven, the head of SCY, at Visit York's office in the city centre, Mr Bryant criticised claims by Boris Johnson that Brexit would bring more visitor money into the city.

In York last week Mr Johnson had said that Brexit would bring in tourists from the lucrative wider global markets as Britain ease its visa rules for the rest of the world.

But Mr Bryant said Boris's thinking was "as messy as his hair" as global tourists would avoid Britain's separate visa rules when planning a trip to Europe.

He added: "There is a real danger that big international tourism groups from China, Japan - and for that matter - the USA will simply find it more difficult if we were outside the EU to come here."

Britain's history with Europe also provides a compelling reason to stay in the EU, he added.

"We in Europe despite the fact that we have 120 different cheeses and I don't know how many different languages, we are more alike than many people would think.

"My argument for staying the the EU is an entirely positive one, that we achieve more by our common endeavour than by going it alone. I think that's true if you run a school, or a family, or a community of nations."

Leaving the EU will make "next to no difference" to immigration figures, the MP said, as free trade deals used by countries like Norway and Switzerland to trade with the EU include free movement of people.

"There's a fundamental truth which is that Britain is not a piece of tupperware. You can't seal us in.

"We live in an interdependent world now. You can't recreate the 1950s. If we are to prosper as a country we have to seize hold of our membership of the Eu and lead it, not leave it."