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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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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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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 |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.54pm BST | |
| 12:54 | |
| Is the threat from Nissan to switch investment away a sign of what's to come? | |
| Phillip Inman | |
| Quitting the European Union’s single market is considered bad for business unless you belong to the small band of economists who believe that Brussels’ employment and environmental protections stifle innovation, that maintaining a low pound is easier outside the EU, and restrictions on migrants is unlikely to ever be enforced. | |
| But the threat from Nissan to switch investment in its next car away from the north east without some form of compensation is the clearest indication yet that multinationals based in the UK to benefit from the single market are going to drift away as they consider an upgrade or new factory that would be cheaper abroad. | |
| Updated | |
| at 12.54pm BST | |
| 12.46pm BST | |
| 12:46 | |
| 'I don't want to uproot but it may be necessary' | |
| James Walsh | |
| John Flahive, 51, a documentary producer and sales agent, is concerned about the implications of a “hard Brexit” on his business. | |
| The impact on business is inevitably negative. At the moment we have free movement of goods throughout the EU, all I have to do in my own business is put an address on a shipment and off it goes. It’s just not possible for whatever is put in its place to improve on that. | |
| A ‘trade deal’ usually involves reduced tariffs which is a dis-improvement on no tariffs at all. This would bring back customs paperwork and all the associated admin, whereas currently we have none at all. There is no upside, only a downside. | |
| As for non-EU trade, there is nothing about Brexit that makes its prospects better, and Brexiteers rhetoric that which suggests EU trade being at the expense of relationships elsewhere is false. There never has been anything about EU membership that’s constrained trade elsewhere. | |
| Brexit does not make my company’s or any company’s business any more inherently attractive to clients in the USA, Australia, Japan etc. Its a basic matter of having something to sell that they are interested in buying and if a transaction makes economic sense. | |
| Up to now selling to the UK was the same thing as selling to the EU where the UK could be a distribution point for the entire single market, that’s no longer possible after Brexit as it would involve a second set of customs hurdles if single market membership is not sustained. | |
| Relocating my business elsewhere in the EU is something that I could do, in my case to Ireland. I don’t particularly want to uproot after 30 years here but it may well be necessary in the event of a hard Brexit. At the moment like so many other businesses, I’m waiting to see, all that there’s been is a vote but nothing on what Brexit actually means. The appointment of Theresa May did reassure that there would be sane heads making the decisions, but Tory party conference only suggests hubris on the part of Brexiteers, and no facing up to the huge difficulties it all involves. One got the impression that Theresa May is being swept along. | |
| 12.42pm BST | |
| 12:42 | |
| Is telling NHS doctors to go home madness? | |
| Sarah Marsh | |
| This has just launched online. Polly Toynbee asks why the health secretary would insult the one third of our doctors who were born abroad by suggesting that they’re only “interim”. | |
| Hunt’s claim that we will be “self-sufficient” in medical staff is nonsense – and he knows it. These new doctors won’t qualify as consultants until 2030, while everywhere has ageing populations and the WHO estimates a global shortage of 2 million doctors. The number of people in Britain over the age of 85 will double by 2037 – and who is to care for them if we chase away all foreigners? | |
| 12.36pm BST | |
| 12:36 | |
| Will Brexit ruin our image abroad? | |
| Sarah Marsh | |
| An interesting take from one commenter below the line: | |
| The main reason I don't think it'll be good for business is the way it is and has effected Britain's image around Europe and probably the world. Made in Britain isn't actually very popular in Europe at the moment. When I am with my girlfriend in Spain what image of Britain is on the television? Farage, Boris Johnson and their xenophobic rhetoric. After all it's the consumers who are the most important when it comes to our exports. Do you really want to buy goods from a nation who's image is one of distaste and xenophobia to their neighbours. Look at the effect the Iraq war had on French products in the U.S when they went ( rightfully ) against the Iraq war.... Everything Farage and Boris do is making it far easier for the E.U to take a tough stance in negotiations with support from their people. Especially when they act so arrogantly by saying the E.U has too much to lose and will have to take any deal we offer. | |
| Brexiters seem to have no idea on how politics will effect us more than anything else. | |
| 12.25pm BST | 12.25pm BST |
| 12:25 | 12:25 |
| James Walsh | James Walsh |
| Comments are open below the line and our debate is underway. | 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: | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Updated | |
| at 12.25pm BST | |
| 12.22pm BST | 12.22pm BST |
| 12:22 | 12:22 |
| Brexit will cost the UK 4% growth in coming years | Brexit will cost the UK 4% growth in coming years |
| Sarah Marsh | Sarah Marsh |
| Polly Toynbee raised some interesting questions about the impact of hard Brexit this week. She wrote: | 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. | 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. |