More than 100 firms employing over one million people in the UK and elsewhere in the EU, have written to David Davis and Michel Barnier, underlying the importance of making urgent progress in the next round of Brexit talks.
We represent businesses of all sizes, sectors and regions of the UK with responsibility for over 500,000 UK and 600,000 EU jobs.
We are committed to helping secure a successful new economic partnership between the UK and the EU, based on the principles of barrier-free trade. We welcome the strengthened collaboration between business and government to achieve this. This must now lead to progress.
Our businesses need to make decisions now about investment and employment that will affect economic growth and jobs in the future. Continuing uncertainty will adversely affect communities, employees, firms and our nations in the future. Businesses across the EU and UK are clear: being able to plan for a transition of up to 3 years that avoids a cliff edge is critical for our collective prosperity.
We are therefore writing to urge both sides to be pragmatic and determined to move to the next stage of the negotiations. Until transitional arrangements can be agreed and trade discussed the risk of ‘no deal’ remains real and has to be planned for, with inevitable consequences for jobs and growth on both sides.
We ask you to ensure that substantive progress is achieved during the upcoming negotiations. Only this will give certainty on the rights of EU and UK citizens working abroad and enable discussion of transitional arrangements in October and trade, by the end of the year. Our shared interests vastly outweigh our differences, and we stand ready to help in any way we can to secure a successful outcome for the people and communities of the UK and the EU.
Yours sincerely,
AON plc, AVK UK, Adnams Brewery, Alderley plc, Amcanu Ltd, Amtico Flooring, Ardmel Group Ltd, Auto Styling Truckman Group Ltd, BAM Nuttall Ltd, BHSF Ltd, BT Group, Bibby Line Group, Bishop Fleming LLP, Bluestone Resort Ltd, Boge Compressors Ltd, Brian Hyde Ltd, CBRE Ltd, Cadent Gas Ltd, Centrica plc, Chapel Down Group plc, Charles Wells Ltd, Cole and Son (Wallpapers) Ltd, Coleg Cambria, Comtek Group, Cranswick plc, DAKS Simpson Group plc, Dalepak Ltd, Danlers Ltd, Devenish Nutrition Ltd, Don Whitley Scientific Ltd, Dragados, durhamlane, ENGIE, EnviroVent Ltd, FW Thorpe plc, Flowlens, Ford of Europe, Friisberg and Partners, Fuller, Smith and Turner plc, GKN plc, GRS Group, GUPTA Smart Energy Ltd, GVA, Gateshead College, Gatwick Airport Ltd, General Electric, Gieves & Hawkes, Gleeds Corporate Services Ltd, Gourmet Burger Kitchen Ltd, Green Energy Options Ltd, Greenyard Fresh UK, Hallmark Cards plc, Harrods, Helen Amy Murray Ltd, Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, IBM United Kingdom Ltd, Identity Consult Ltd, Imerys Minerals Ltd, Incommunities Group Limited, Integrity Print Ltd, J. Murphy & Sons Ltd, Jaguar Landrover Automotive plc, Johnson & Johnson, Jones Bros. Ruthin (Civ Eng) Co Ltd, Josephine Home, KEB (UK) Ltd, Kingsdown Compressed Air Systems Ltd, Kioti UK Ltd, Legrand Electric Ltd, Lewden Metal Products Ltd, Load-Lok Manufacturing Ltd, London City Airport Ltd, Manchester Airports Group, ManpowerGroup, Markes International Ltd, Marshfield Bakery Ltd, Medicash, Mercer Ltd, Michelmersh Brick Holdings plc, Moon Consulting Ltd, Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Mott Macdonald Group Ltd, Moy Park, Mulberry Group plc, Norbrook Laboratories Ltd, Omobono Ltd, PCME Ltd, Pinsent Masons LLP, Prospa (UK) Ltd, RENOLIT Cramlington Ltd, RSA Group, Rank Brothers Ltd, Redwood Technologies Group Ltd, Rococo Chocolates, Rosewood London, Royal Crown Derby, Ryder Architecture, Saint-Gobain SA, Shawbrook Bank Ltd, Signum Corporate Communications Ltd, Smurfitt Kappa Group, Specialist People Services Group, St Austell Brewery, Stormpress Ltd, Sungift Solar Ltd, TWI Ltd, Tails Cocktails, The Maxol Group, Titon Holdings plc, Unipart Group, University of Salford, Vianet Group plc, wagamama, W&R Barnett Ltd, WDH, Ward Hadaway, Wates Group Ltd, Welbilt UK Ltd, Wessex Water Services Ltd, Yeo Valley, Yorkshire Building Society, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd.
Source: CBI
