inspire BUSINESS WEST – CONNECTING BUSINESSES COMMENT & OPINION Keeping you up-to-date with the latest political policies and decisions that affect South West businesses Brexit issues on the table


By Rupert Callingham Policy Assistant at Business West


As the Chamber of Commerce for Wiltshire, we are working closely with firms in the county to help get clarity over the likely shape of the UK’s future trading relationship with the EU and to convey business concerns and priorities to government and our representatives in Parliament. A group of Wiltshire businesses recently sat


down with Claire Perry, MP for Devizes and now a Cabinet Minister in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to discuss the issues surrounding Brexit that matter to them. Claire campaigned for the UK to remain in the


EU before the referendum and was one of only seven Conservative MPs to vote in February 2017 for an amendment suggesting that parliament should have the final say on the Brexit deal. The meeting in Marlborough


‘Claire


Town Hall began with Claire outlining her position on Brexit – stating that she campaigned passionately for Remain but on the basis that the result of the referendum must be respected. She also said she believed that a ‘no deal’ outcome would be ‘a disaster’ and that securing a smooth implementation period will be paramount for business. Claire recognised the vital importance of the


campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU before the referendum’


MP Claire Perry meets with Business West and local businesses


days in shipping compared with EU markets. Furthermore, VAT and duty


payment issues associated with returning items for repair are likely to create cashflow issues for Crookwood post-Brexit, affecting their B2C sales. While large companies


EU market to UK business, noting that trade relationships tend to decline by geographical distance. However, she was quick to point out that there are plentiful export opportunities for UK businesses globally. Businesses including Whitefield International,


Visit Wiltshire and Royds Withy King went on to voice their concerns. Crispin Herrod-Taylor of Crookwood Audio Engineering, a designer and maker of professional audio products, said for his business it’s currently as easy to sell to Berlin as it is to Brighton, but that Brexit will make things more difficult for companies exporting to Europe. His experience of trading with Norway – outside the customs union – makes Crispin nervous of the likely customs implications of Brexit, noting that this market adds an additional 25% in cost and an extra one/two


16 insight MARCH/APRIL 2018


may be able to deal with these changes more easily, Crispin was sure that smaller e-commerce companies like his own would be less competitive outside the EU. He added that, post-Brexit, HMRC would more


easily be able to overcome customs obstacles by focusing first on facilitating business, and then on collecting taxes, rather than the other way round. Alex Scott of TH White, an agriculture parts


and machinery distributor, reported that confidence among many of his customers has been shaky since the Brexit vote. Concerns around issues such as food tariffs mean that many in the industry are being more cautious in their investment decisions. Visit Wiltshire’s Peter Wragg raised concerns


about the effect of EU workers leaving Britain in sectors such as hospitality, and highlighted the importance for UK employers in accessing the skills of EU nationals. Claire agreed that a visa


system which is fit for purpose and responsive to the needs of the economy will need to be implemented, but also suggested that investment in training and upskilling in low- productivity sectors will be crucial for the domestic workforce in the longer term. Following on from this there was a discussion


around technical education, with Mike Harling of Whitefield International citing practices in Germany and the US as possible models for the UK to follow. Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative Director Ian


Larrard agreed with the imperative to expand and improve technical education nationwide and said that a new technical centre for the LEP area in Swindon would play a key role here. Business West Policy Director Matt Griffith highlighted a particular skills gap in export compliance – something which was raised by businesses at recent Brexit roundtables with HMRC and DIT. At present, formal training options in this area are limited, but will clearly need to be ramped up significantly as the UK leaves the EU, and Claire took note. The session ended with Claire suggesting that


Brexit must serve as a wake-up call to improve and invest in UK skills and procurement, and that it must be used as an opportunity for industry to deepen the domestic supply chain.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40