POLITICS
Fireworks in the House of Commons
The stench of bonfires and gunpowder had barely cleared the air in November before fireworks hit the main chamber at the House of Commons in the guise of the EU Withdrawal Bill. Two days had been set aside mid-month for
Members to discuss a raft of amendments to the Bill, but there were suggestions even then that the debate could continue well into December. The 160(ish) page document, including early amendments, which had a moderately easy ride through the Commons in July and September came back from the House of Lords with over 470 added changes, engorging the Bill by about 186 pages. And each of those pages must be pored over,
scrutinised and, eventually, agreed before the Bill can be sent off for Royal Assent to become an Act. To describe the debate of Brexit as vitriolic
would be to understate the level of feeling in both Houses. Prime Minister Theresa May has called on all
Members to back the Bill, but the task before them is huge. For a start, the Bill seeks to enshrine in law
the exact time that the UK will leave the EU as 11pm – midnight in Brussels - on 29 March 2019. However, there is an entrenched camp of
Remainers who believe a second referendum on terms should be held, with the potential for the original decision to be overturned. And there are other Members who are not
happy with Brexit Secretary David Davis’ promise of a ‘take it or leave it’ final vote on the Brexit deal – itself an accession - which will include details such as money (the size of the so-called divorce bill), citizens’ rights and any transition period. Labour described the vote ‘pledge’ as a “climb
down” but others warned of “a sham” if Ministers were not allowed an opportunity to renegotiate the terms. Aside from managing the jostling taking place
on her own front bench, the mountain Mrs May must climb includes winning over a number of back bench Tory rebels who jointly risked the wrath of their leader by describing Mr Davis’ pledge as “meaningless”. The Bill also paves the way to also enshrine in
UK law all existing EU regulations introduced since Britain became part of the Common Market, later the European Economic Community and then the European Union, over 40 years ago. And that’s no easy job. There have been
something in the region of 60,000 EU Regulations or Directives since Britain joined. Each piece of ‘legislation’ must be examined
to make sure it doesn’t hand sovereignty for that particular rule back to the EU and/or the European Court of Justice once enshrined in UK law – after all, one of the reasons given by
32 business network December 2017/January 2018
Leavers for wanting out of the EU was reclamation of Sovereignty and the right to set our own laws. In the meantime, nobody knows yet what the
eventual outcome of the negotiations with Brussels will be nor, therefore, what Britain outside the EU will look like in terms of trade, customs, tariffs, freedom of movement of people. And because, under EU rules, we don’t actually have the right to negotiate trade deals with non-EU countries until after we leave the EU, there is concern in the business community that World Trade Organisation rules will be imposed immediately after Brexit. That said, while it could mean tariffs might be
charged on all UK exports to the EU, it doesn’t mean we have to charge tariffs against all imports. Having tariffs levied against exports but not
charging them against imports could have a very negative impact on the competitiveness of UK- made goods, which could lead to long-term damage to the UK economy. And we also have to consider how the border
between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland might operate without contradicting rules or undoing years of hard fought relationship and peace building activities. Then we have to consider the skills shortage in the UK, where companies quite literally import
Theresa May has called on MPs to back the EU Withdrawal Bill
expertise from overseas in the shape of workers with the knowledge they need but which they struggle to recruit in the UK. The rights of those workers from the EU, and
those of their counterparts from the UK living and working in the EU, have yet to be determined. “There is no doubt that there is still a lot of work
to be done before we’ll have a clear insight into what the UK outside the EU will look like,” said Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at the Chamber.
‘There is concern in the business community that World Trade Organisation rules will be imposed immediately after Brexit’
Sign up for Brexit Support Programme
The Chamber has created a four-day Brexit Support Programme to help businesses navigate the uncertain waters ahead. It starts in January and continues one-day-a-month in February, March and April. Delegates will be guided through what is known about Brexit, its implications and what steps
they should take now to mitigate potential impact. The first part of the programme consists of an impact analysis on the sales and marketing,
supply chain logistics and procurement operations, HR and back office (IT and finance). This is followed by a focus on change management, business remodelling and decision-
making. Part three will consider potential solutions and the final part will take the form of a discussion
around issues raised by participants and further solution-finding. The programme is aimed at senior personnel from SMEs with a significant import or export or
EU labour content in their businesses. Places will be limited to ensure content is tailored to delegates needs. The Programme will be delivered by Ron Mendes, Management Consultant at Prospa, the
Professional Service Providers Alliance, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, Member of the Institute of Risk Management, Member of the CBI’s East Midlands Regional Council and Committee Member in the IOD’s East Midlands Region.
For information, or to book, visit
http://bit.ly/EMCBrexitSupport
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