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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/live/2016/oct/06/will-britains-exit-from-the-eu-be-bad-for-business-live-debate
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| Will Britain's exit from the EU be bad for business? – live debate | Will Britain's exit from the EU be bad for business? – live debate |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| 12.25pm BST | |
| 12:25 | |
| James Walsh | |
| Comments are open below the line and our debate is underway. | |
| Kicking us off from the form is a small business owner in the south east of England, who has noted a definite impact of the vote: | |
| I’ve already seen an impact in car buying attitudes in the months following the referendum. Traditionally, September is a busy time for my business (my company move new and used cars around the U.K.) and already the volume of movements compared to March and this time last year is worrying. | |
| Every dealership I visit, staff say the same thing; “It’s unusually quite for this time of year”. The uncertainty created by the referendum is clearly having an affect and I worry for the future of my business once article 50 is triggered. If people are out of work they won’t be buying cars, meaning I won’t be moving them round the U.K. | |
| 12.22pm BST | |
| 12:22 | |
| Brexit will cost the UK 4% growth in coming years | |
| Sarah Marsh | |
| Polly Toynbee raised some interesting questions about the impact of hard Brexit this week. She wrote: | |
| As speech after speech salutes “taking back control” as “a fully independent sovereign country”, only old sober-sides Philip Hammond throws cold water. There is a price to pay, he warns. He didn’t disagree with Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that Brexit will cost the UK 4% in growth in coming years. | |
| 11.02am BST | 11.02am BST |
| 11:02 | 11:02 |
| Welcome to the debate | Welcome to the debate |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| Theresa May made one thing perfectly clear during this year’s Conservative party conference: Brexit means Brexit. | Theresa May made one thing perfectly clear during this year’s Conservative party conference: Brexit means Brexit. |
| The Tory leader said controlling immigration and withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the European court of justice would be her priorities during European Union (EU) exit. She says Article 50 will be triggered before the end of March 2017. | The Tory leader said controlling immigration and withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the European court of justice would be her priorities during European Union (EU) exit. She says Article 50 will be triggered before the end of March 2017. |
| The government also plans to force companies to disclose how many foreign workers they employ, with business leaders describing it as divisive and damaging. | The government also plans to force companies to disclose how many foreign workers they employ, with business leaders describing it as divisive and damaging. |
| But what impact will all this have on Britain’s businesses? Mike Cherry, the national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Fundamentally, the UK has been a global magnet for talent and this must be considered by ministers. The ability to hire the right people for the right job is paramount, and we will be championing this in the upcoming consultation.” | But what impact will all this have on Britain’s businesses? Mike Cherry, the national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Fundamentally, the UK has been a global magnet for talent and this must be considered by ministers. The ability to hire the right people for the right job is paramount, and we will be championing this in the upcoming consultation.” |
| There are also concerns about the impact of Brexit on Scotland. An economics thinktank has warned that the Scottish economy would suffer a severe shock if the UK has a “hard Brexit”, losing up to 80,000 jobs and seeing wages fall by £2,000 a head per year. | There are also concerns about the impact of Brexit on Scotland. An economics thinktank has warned that the Scottish economy would suffer a severe shock if the UK has a “hard Brexit”, losing up to 80,000 jobs and seeing wages fall by £2,000 a head per year. |
| However, May says she aims to improve UK workers’ rights. She described the Brexit vote as a “quiet revolution” in which “millions of our fellow citizens stood up and said they were not prepared to be ignored anymore”. She said it was time to take back control and shape our future here in Britain. “To build an outward-looking, confident, trading nation here in Britain. To build a stronger, fairer, brighter future here in Britain. That is the opportunity we have been given.” | However, May says she aims to improve UK workers’ rights. She described the Brexit vote as a “quiet revolution” in which “millions of our fellow citizens stood up and said they were not prepared to be ignored anymore”. She said it was time to take back control and shape our future here in Britain. “To build an outward-looking, confident, trading nation here in Britain. To build a stronger, fairer, brighter future here in Britain. That is the opportunity we have been given.” |
| What do you think? Will a so-called “hard Brexit” ruin many UK companies? How can businesses survive without foreign talent? What about Scotland? Or do you think workers’ rights will improve? | What do you think? Will a so-called “hard Brexit” ruin many UK companies? How can businesses survive without foreign talent? What about Scotland? Or do you think workers’ rights will improve? |
| Share your thoughts with us from 12 noon until 2pm. | Share your thoughts with us from 12 noon until 2pm. |