The subsequent UK authorities should negotiate an improved buying and selling relationship with the EU as companies face ever-higher prices from Brexit, one of many nation’s largest company foyer teams has warned.
The British Chambers of Commerce mentioned that tighter migration guidelines and rising prices and complexity of exports had been throttling funding and progress at residence.
“We urgently need to get a better trading relationship with our closest neighbour,” mentioned BCC director-general Shevaun Haviland.
A continuing addition of recent EU guidelines was making life ever-harder for exporters and their suppliers, she instructed the FT. “We thought that after year one things would just get easier for people as they worked out what the problems were, but actually the changes just kept coming.”
The issues are a part of a rising refrain of criticism in regards to the impression of Brexit on companies forward of the UK’s basic election on July 4. Each Labour and the ruling Conservatives have averted specializing in Brexit, which remains to be seen as divisive amongst voters.
Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer, whose get together has a big lead in opinion polls, is about to pursue nearer commerce and defence ties with the EU if he turns into prime minister.
Starmer needs to “deepen” the UK’s relationship with the bloc, however will rule out rejoining the one market or permitting freedom of motion between Britain and EU, senior Labour figures instructed the FT final month.
A majority of firms exporting to the EU instructed the BCC that promoting into the bloc had grow to be more durable throughout 2023, with new border checks on plant and animal merchandise additionally imposing punitive new prices, significantly on small corporations.
Haviland mentioned that easing migration guidelines was one of many adjustments that may most assist companies: “Working with the EU to ensure that the movement of people for work is easier will absolutely benefit our businesses.”
The UK voted to depart the EU in 2016 and formally exited in 2021, when the much less complete EU UK Commerce and Cooperation Settlement got here into pressure.
The BCC’s feedback echo rising issues from enterprise grandees, who are sometimes freer to be extra vocal of their criticisms.
Sir Mike Rake, former chair of BT Group, KPMG and easyJet, mentioned Brexit had been “the single biggest act of economic and reputational self harm in our modern history, compounded by an ideologically driven exit treaty which continues to damage our economy with increasing and unnecessary frictional trade and regulatory costs”.
The subsequent parliament “must face reality” and “move closer to the EU from an economic and political perspective, including reconsideration of joining the customs union and single market”, he final week instructed the FT’s Metropolis Community, a discussion board of senior executives and policymakers. “This would be the single most important step to restoring growth in trade and our reputation, influence and investability as a country,” he mentioned.
Andreas Utermann, former chief of Allianz World Traders, agreed that Brexit was nonetheless damaging companies. Whereas Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s authorities had diminished friction with Europe after the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss administrations, it had “failed to . . . demonstrate any tangible benefit to being outside the EU”, he mentioned.
Haviland pressured the BCC was not asking for the UK to rejoin the EU, which accounts for greater than 40 per cent of British exports. “We’re not suggesting going back there, that’s done, we’re moving forward,” she mentioned.
