BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom (AFP) – by Edouard GUIHAIRE Katherine HADDON
“Divorces always cost you a lot of money,” sighed Charlie Mullins, one of many British bosses pushing ministers for more details on life post-Brexit at the Conservative Party’s annual conference.
Dressed in an electric blue suit, Mullins is the charismatic founder of Pimlico Plumbers, whose vans are a common sight in the British capital and whose clients reportedly include Richard Branson.
Fronting his company’s stall at the conference, he outlined concerns that Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is keeping business in the dark over leaving the European Union.
May, who took power in July, is playing her cards close to her chest. On Sunday, she said Brexit negotiations with Brussels would be triggered by the end of March, paving the way for Britain to quit in early 2019.
That was the first real detail about how the exit process will work from a prime minister whose catchphrase has become “Brexit means Brexit”.
“She’s got to press the button in March, then they will let us know what’s going to happen. I think it’s quite worrying,” Mullins, a Conservative backer who opposed Brexit, told AFP.
“She doesn’t really know what they’re going to offer us when she presses the button and I think she’s going to come in for a shock.”
Philip Mowat, whose company Tie Club makes custom ties and scarves, was another who had a stall at the conference in Birmingham, central England, alongside others selling everything from cakes to cufflinks and candles.
“The economy doesn’t like instability and that’s something that is already happening,” he added.
‘Pressing’ decisions
While Britain’s economy has performed better than many experts expected since June’s surprise Brexit vote, with unemployment and retail sales staying resilient, some fear that the worst is yet to come.
Analysts say May seems to be moving towards a “hard” Brexit, meaning Britain would sever all links with EU institutions, pull out of the single market and curb EU immigration.
Finance minister Philip Hammond offered reassurance in his conference speech Monday, saying he understood the concern of businesses and pledging to protect the economy during Brexit negotiations.
Ministers are holding behind closed doors dinners at the conference with business leaders where Brexit will be discussed and have already invited employers like BMW and British Airways to meetings at Downing Street.
But the big hitters of Britain’s economy are still pressing for more detail, particularly on how much access May is likely to push for to Europe’s single market and the scale of likely EU immigration controls.
Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Britain’s largest business lobby group, said May’s announcement on timing had “accelerated an urgent need for answers.”
“Businesses need to know the government’s ambition on the fundamental issues of skills and barrier-free access to EU markets as soon as possible,” she said.
“The decisions they face today are real and pressing.”
‘Hiring best talent’
Hammond, in his speech, heaped praise on early stage technology companies as an engine of growth in Britain.
Harry Briggs, a partner at London-based venture capital firm BGF Ventures, which invests in such companies, urged clarity in areas like future arrangements for skilled workers moving between the EU and Britain.
“We want UK founders to be able to hire the very best talent from across the globe, and operate seamlessly across Europe,” he said.
“We’re seeing many of our peers slow down investment in UK startups whilst the uncertainty remains.”
Others hoped that, despite the uncertainty, Britain and Europe could still hash out an acceptable deal.
“The last thing we want in Europe is for everything to go down the pan,” said Jim Duffy, CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark, a business accelerator for early stage companies.
“This is all posturing but I am sure that behind the scenes, it will come to an agreement that will work for everyone.”
