As Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50 this week, UK business leaders are urging the Government not to lose sight of their responsibilities beyond Brexit negotiations.
In a statement on Tuesday, Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that “businesses would not look kindly on a Government that treats Brexit as its only job”.
“Getting the fundamentals right here in the UK is as important, if not more important, than any eventual Brexit deal,” he said.
The Prime Minister is expected to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on Wednesday, by sending a letter to the EU that officially kick starts the negotiating progress.
Mr Marshall said that it is “crucial for the Prime Minister and her Government to remember Brexit is not the only thing on the minds of UK businesses”.
“Issues here at home, from the training system to sky-high business rates and up-front costs, still need to be addressed,” he said.
The BCC has issued some of the strongest warnings for the business community on Brexit yet.
Last month it published a report, based on feedback from more than 400 businesses, in which it demanded that the timing of Brexit be pushed back if the Government proves unable to strike a comprehensive trade deal within the two-year negotiating period.
Amongst other things, the BCC demanded at the time that Westminster provide clarity for businesses on the “residence rights of existing EU workers” and companies’ abilities to hire from EU countries during the negotiation period.
The BCC also urged the Government to “aim to minimise tariffs, seek to avoid costly non-tariff barriers, grandfather existing EU free trade agreements with third countries, and expand the trade mission programme”.
It said that the Government should guarantee that the tax office is “appropriately resourced to help businesses through the transition process”.
On Tuesday, Mr Marshall said that now that negotiations are about to kick off, “businesses across the UK and their trading partners in Europe want answers to practical questions, not political posturing”.
“A pragmatic and grown-up dialogue on the real-world issues, rather than verbal volleys between London and Brussels, would give firms greater confidence over the next two years.”
