Industry warns against “clumsy” Brexit plan

A report out today (21st September) from EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation and Squire Patton Boggs, the global law firm, spells out manufacturers’ key priorities for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations.

The report – Britain and the EU: manufacturing an orderly exit – draws on a number of recent EEF studies and points to new findings showing that just 5% of British adults think that loss or damage to the UK manufacturing sector is a price worth paying for leaving the EU.

While acknowledging that the Government faces a difficult balancing act between free trade and controlling the movement of workers, it warns against rushing through a ‘clumsy’ Brexit plan that could do lasting damage to UK manufacturing and the wider economy.

Instead, it is urging the Government to hold its nerve and deliver a carefully engineered Brexit that supports investment, ensures business certainty and allows manufacturers to play a full and unfettered role in helping the UK achieve post-EU economic and global trading success.