Paris attacks: Britons urged to 'buy French' to help support French economy

British shoppers were today urged to “buy French” to stop the terror attack in Paris from plunging France’s economy back into recession.

MPs called on Britons to show “economic solidarity” with the French as their country reels from the worst bloodshed since the Second World War.

Economists fear consumer confidence in France could be hit by the atrocity, pushing the economy back into decline.

Some department stores and other shops were closed in Paris over the weekend and France’s main stock market index opened lower this morning.

MPs suggested Londoners could help to stave off economic woes across the Channel by buying French goods, including culinary products such as wine, cheese, pates, as well as other exports from France.

Bob Neill, secretary of the all-party parliamentary group on France, said: “Paris is London’s nearest neighbour city in Europe. We probably have closer links with Paris than any other European city.”

The Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurst added: “Buying French is a good idea. It shows economic solidarity and demonstrates to the perpetrators of those atrocities that we are not going to change our shared way of life.”

Wimbledon Tory MP Stephen Hammond also voiced support for Londoners to show “economic solidarity”.

“I am sure many of us will want to do so when we do our weekly shop,” he added.

The main French stock market index, the CAC 40 initially opened down more than 50 points on the first day of trading since Friday’s attacks but later recovered to stand just 2.23 points down.

The City’s FTSE-100 index of leading shares also opened lower but bounced back strongly to stand at 6140.68, up 21.40 points by mid morning.

France’s economy grew by a modest 0.3 per cent in the third quarter of this year, having flatlined in the previous three months.