In a report out today titled ‘Making a Success of Brexit’, the Confederation of Business Industries (CBI) says a barrier-free relationship with the EU and access to skilled labour should be at the heart of a smooth Brexit. And the business lobby group calls on the government to take a ‘whole economy’ approach to ensure no single sector is left behind in the negotiations.
Key points from the report:
- The industry is concerned about facing high tariff and non-tariff barriers to UK-EU trade
- Continued access to non-graduate labour is critical, both on a full-time and a seasonal basis
- It would be helpful for the government to provide further assurances on the future of agricultural regulation, funding for the rural economy, and international trade
- Whole economy approach vital to Brexit negotiations
- Success or failure of some sectors will have a knock-on effect for others
- Recommended common principles: Barrier-free access to EU our largest trading partner; a flexible approach to allow access to skills and labour; focus on global economic relationships with UK businesses at the heart.
NFU comment
Director of policy Andrew Clark said: “The NFU has long been arguing about a whole economy approach in which one sector is not prioritised over another. Farming doesn’t just contribute £9 billion to the UK economy – it provides the building blocks to the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink which is worth £108bn and employs nearly four million people. That is why it’s so important to look at the wider impacts and not just individual sectors’ contributions to GDP.
“It is essential for the food and farming sector to maintain full, unfettered access to the single market while having continued access to a flexible, competent and reliable workforce – this is essential to British farming's competitiveness as this underpins the UK food chain's timely delivery of high quality affordable food to consumers.
“The key challenge now as the CBI argues is for the Government is to deliver an economy that works for all.”