BRC: Brexit plan rightly prioritises tarriff-free trade

Responding to Theresa may's speech today on Brexit, Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the BRC said:

“The Prime Minister has an ambitious plan with the right priorities. It is crucial that Britain gets a new deal that works for ordinary British consumers, which doesn’t hit them with the costs of new import tariffs at a time when the pound is already weakened. The Government has an opportunity to secure a win-win deal that works for the UK economy, by keeping prices down for consumers, while allowing the EU to continue benefiting from its open-trade relationship with the UK.

“This deal will take time to agree. The proposed ‘phased introduction’ must at all costs avoid the cliff-edge scenario - a sudden and overnight change in trading conditions that won’t benefit anyone. The number one priority for an orderly exit should be to allow all goods traded between the EU and the UK to be in free circulation."

On the transfer of EU regulation:

“We welcome the clarity provided by the Government’s intention to transfer existing EU-based regulation into UK-based regulation.  Transferring responsibility for regulation from the EU to the UK will be a complicated task, taking up enormous resource. The focus should be ensuring the smooth transition from EU to UK law. Substantive reform will have to wait until we have left the EU."

On the status of EU colleagues:

“Workers from the European Union are part of the reason that British retailers are often able to deliver affordable and high-quality goods. The Government is right to signal reassurance to EU workers throughout our UK supply chains about their right to remain here.”

Source : British Retail Consortium
http://brc.org.uk

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