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| ‘We need to survive’: Stevenage’s small business owners reveal Brexit fears | ‘We need to survive’: Stevenage’s small business owners reveal Brexit fears |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| “You see the melons over there?” said Ali Ahmed, pointing across his extensive display of fruit and vegetables at his greengrocer’s shop in Stevenage town centre. “They come from Spain. Most of the apples come from Poland. The tomatoes are from Holland.” | |
| Ahmed, who has been running Star Groceries for about five years, gets most of his fresh produce from New Spitalfields market. “We’ve spoken to the wholesaler and [if there is a no-deal Brexit] they say it’s going to be very, very, very hard. But we have no idea what’s going to happen. I don’t know what I can do. You can’t stock up on fresh fruit and veg, so I’m just hoping they get a deal. | Ahmed, who has been running Star Groceries for about five years, gets most of his fresh produce from New Spitalfields market. “We’ve spoken to the wholesaler and [if there is a no-deal Brexit] they say it’s going to be very, very, very hard. But we have no idea what’s going to happen. I don’t know what I can do. You can’t stock up on fresh fruit and veg, so I’m just hoping they get a deal. |
| Liberal Democrats: Their first choice would be legislation to extend article 50 then call a second referendum. If this did not work the party would support the no-confidence motion, but rather than installing Corbyn, the Lib Dems would seek a cross-party government led by a backbench grandee, such as Ken Clarke or Harriet Harman. It is not clear if the party would try to block a temporary Corbyn government. | Liberal Democrats: Their first choice would be legislation to extend article 50 then call a second referendum. If this did not work the party would support the no-confidence motion, but rather than installing Corbyn, the Lib Dems would seek a cross-party government led by a backbench grandee, such as Ken Clarke or Harriet Harman. It is not clear if the party would try to block a temporary Corbyn government. |
| SNP: The Scottish National party supports a no-confidence motion. They have said they will talk to Corbyn about his plan, despite their differences over Brexit. The party’s leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has criticised Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson's stance. | SNP: The Scottish National party supports a no-confidence motion. They have said they will talk to Corbyn about his plan, despite their differences over Brexit. The party’s leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has criticised Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson's stance. |
| Plaid Cymru: Liz Saville Roberts, Westminster leader for the party, has indicated she could back the Corbyn plan, but would prefer an immediate second referendum rather than general election. | Plaid Cymru: Liz Saville Roberts, Westminster leader for the party, has indicated she could back the Corbyn plan, but would prefer an immediate second referendum rather than general election. |
| Independent Group for Change/Independents: The group formerly known as the TIGers, now split and reduced in number after two joined the Liberal Democrats, seem wary of the Corbyn plan, with some MPs saying they could not support him. | Independent Group for Change/Independents: The group formerly known as the TIGers, now split and reduced in number after two joined the Liberal Democrats, seem wary of the Corbyn plan, with some MPs saying they could not support him. |
| Greens: Caroline Lucas, the Green party’s sole MP has taken a similar view to Saville Roberts, and has also appealed to Swinson to reconsider backing a temporary Corbyn-led government. | Greens: Caroline Lucas, the Green party’s sole MP has taken a similar view to Saville Roberts, and has also appealed to Swinson to reconsider backing a temporary Corbyn-led government. |
| Rebel Tories: Conservative party MP Guto Bebb has said that even a Corbyn government would be preferable to no deal. But it seems hard to see many other Tories following him. | Rebel Tories: Conservative party MP Guto Bebb has said that even a Corbyn government would be preferable to no deal. But it seems hard to see many other Tories following him. |
| Former Labour independents: Ian Austin, a long-time Corbyn foe, has already ruled out supporting his plan for a temporary government, and it is hard to see MPs such as Frank Field, John Woodcock, and others, doing so either. | Former Labour independents: Ian Austin, a long-time Corbyn foe, has already ruled out supporting his plan for a temporary government, and it is hard to see MPs such as Frank Field, John Woodcock, and others, doing so either. |
| Peter Walker Political correspondent | Peter Walker Political correspondent |
| “When we are in the English season we bring the produce from farms here, but the English season is short,” said Ahmed. “I couldn’t stock my shop from just English produce. I’d only be working for part of the year.” | “When we are in the English season we bring the produce from farms here, but the English season is short,” said Ahmed. “I couldn’t stock my shop from just English produce. I’d only be working for part of the year.” |
| Jeremy Corbyn visited Stevenage on Tuesday to speak to small business owners about the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit. He said those he had met were “appalled at the idea of a no-deal Brexit … I think the prime minister should go and talk to them.” | Jeremy Corbyn visited Stevenage on Tuesday to speak to small business owners about the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit. He said those he had met were “appalled at the idea of a no-deal Brexit … I think the prime minister should go and talk to them.” |
| Ahmed seemed to be in agreement with the Labour leader. “I’ve got lots of friends who own small businesses and they’re not happy at all. They’re not happy with a no-deal Brexit. It’s going to affect almost every small business in the UK.” | Ahmed seemed to be in agreement with the Labour leader. “I’ve got lots of friends who own small businesses and they’re not happy at all. They’re not happy with a no-deal Brexit. It’s going to affect almost every small business in the UK.” |
| A few shops down from Star Groceries is LC Furniture and Flooring, one of a chain of four shops across Hertfordshire. The manager, Naz Miah, said this year had been the toughest of the 10 the business had been in existence. | A few shops down from Star Groceries is LC Furniture and Flooring, one of a chain of four shops across Hertfordshire. The manager, Naz Miah, said this year had been the toughest of the 10 the business had been in existence. |
| The company experienced an initial dip in sales in 2016 after the EU referendum, followed by a slight recovery, but is undergoing another fall. Miah said staff were seeing a decline in “bread and butter” business, such as new homeowners and landlords seeking to furnish their properties, because of a slowdown in the housing market. | The company experienced an initial dip in sales in 2016 after the EU referendum, followed by a slight recovery, but is undergoing another fall. Miah said staff were seeing a decline in “bread and butter” business, such as new homeowners and landlords seeking to furnish their properties, because of a slowdown in the housing market. |
| While most of the beds the company sells come from the UK, a significant chunk of the business comes from the sale of large wardrobes, which are manufactured in Germany. At the beginning of the year, deliveries were coming in very slowly because businesses were over-ordering and the manufacturer could not keep up with demand. | While most of the beds the company sells come from the UK, a significant chunk of the business comes from the sale of large wardrobes, which are manufactured in Germany. At the beginning of the year, deliveries were coming in very slowly because businesses were over-ordering and the manufacturer could not keep up with demand. |
| “We’ve been going to furniture shows, looking for a UK option for about two years, because it means you get them more quickly and it’s good to go local,” Miah said. “Maybe a company will pop up after Brexit, but it’ll take time because Germany has factories with the right machinery and infrastructure [for larger wardrobes].” | “We’ve been going to furniture shows, looking for a UK option for about two years, because it means you get them more quickly and it’s good to go local,” Miah said. “Maybe a company will pop up after Brexit, but it’ll take time because Germany has factories with the right machinery and infrastructure [for larger wardrobes].” |
| At Limited Edition Comix, around the corner, Wesley Hills is comparatively chipper. The world of comic books, he said, felt separate from the everyday economy. “We danced through the last recession. It’s a collector’s market. If they want it they will pay for it.” One thing that has affected the business is the exchange rate with the dollar, which has made imports more expensive. But comic books are also more popular than ever – thanks, in part, to the influence of the Marvel film franchise. | At Limited Edition Comix, around the corner, Wesley Hills is comparatively chipper. The world of comic books, he said, felt separate from the everyday economy. “We danced through the last recession. It’s a collector’s market. If they want it they will pay for it.” One thing that has affected the business is the exchange rate with the dollar, which has made imports more expensive. But comic books are also more popular than ever – thanks, in part, to the influence of the Marvel film franchise. |
| Also relatively unconcerned is Sapphia Nicholson, whose family runs the next-door gift shop and piercing studio Unikorn. “Most of our stock is from the UK, so we’re only really worried about the economy going into recession and people not having enough money to spend in our shop,” she said. | Also relatively unconcerned is Sapphia Nicholson, whose family runs the next-door gift shop and piercing studio Unikorn. “Most of our stock is from the UK, so we’re only really worried about the economy going into recession and people not having enough money to spend in our shop,” she said. |
| “We do get some stock from Thailand – some body jewellery for the shop – and the exchange rate for baht has dropped. We usually bulk order twice a year, so we’re just hoping it improves by the time we put in the next order. We’ll just have to wait and see.” | “We do get some stock from Thailand – some body jewellery for the shop – and the exchange rate for baht has dropped. We usually bulk order twice a year, so we’re just hoping it improves by the time we put in the next order. We’ll just have to wait and see.” |
| Naseer Saeed has been running Fone + PC Fix for about five years. “We’re not sure how we could prepare,” he said. He gets most of his stock from a wholesaler in Southall, west London. “All they have said is that the prices might go up. At the end of the day that means we have to charge customers more. Our rents and things like that aren’t falling and we need to survive.” | |
| Overall, he seems fatigued by all the Brexit speculation. “It’s all been going on for a long, long time and it keeps getting delayed. In the end something will happen and we can’t stop that,” he said. “But people will always need to get their phones fixed and need new chargers.” | Overall, he seems fatigued by all the Brexit speculation. “It’s all been going on for a long, long time and it keeps getting delayed. In the end something will happen and we can’t stop that,” he said. “But people will always need to get their phones fixed and need new chargers.” |
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