WHILE Westminster is no closer to a decision on the UK’s future relationship with the EU, FTA is urging politicians to reach a decision which supports the nation’s businesses, or risk putting the UK’s trading platform and economy in jeopardy.
‘A No Deal Brexit would be highly damaging for trade, for business and for Britain,’ says James Hookham, the association’s deputy CEO. ‘With no clear solution for what happens next, the risk of a No Deal has risen significantly, and the problems which this would cause for businesses, which now have virtually no time to prepare, would be catastrophic for the UK’s supply chain.
‘Mrs May’s Lancaster House speech, two years ago, promised that frictionless trade would be protected, whatever the outcome of negotiations with the EU: This promise has not materialised. A No Deal would increase delays at the country’s borders, increase red tape and costs for logistics businesses already operating on narrow margins. It would also restrict access for transport to the EU and reduce the available skilled workforce for logistics operators.
