Some years have passed since the Brexit referendum but opinions inside and outside the UK remain divided.
Many of Dynamic Dox’s clients have a business, or personal interest in Europe. Neither is the subject dying down in political terms, with the UK government coming ever closer to rewriting Brexit.
As we open a new section on the EU, the government are preparing to publish a bill which tears up part of the Brexit deal they signed. The Northern Ireland Protocol, intended to solve the problem of Ireland’s internal border.
Nobody is denying that the solution was imperfect, or that one is difficult to find. Differing elements need to be satisfied, Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK, the EU, the US, the European Court of Justice.
External diplomatic needs apart, the confidence vote in Boris Johnson left his own MPs sensing weakness and feeling able to push their views.
Getting Brexit Done
The slogan was clear yet the outcome less so, with Northern Ireland a pivotal issue but not the only one. Fresh rules for EU imports have been postponed several times, new internal border posts perhaps redundant before they opened.
Continuing uncertainty and the appearance of backing away from an international treaty are not building confidence in the UK. The CBI Director General, Tony Danker, recently said that a firm, lasting deal was needed, or investment would suffer.
A range of UK businesses have suffered and not yet found a solution in trade elsewhere. They do not consider Brexit to be satisfactorily done, when opportunities still exist for the deal to be improved beyond the Protocol.
Shared Considerations
The Covid pandemic is not over and holds past costs, the war in Ukraine continues and will have a long term economic impact. Supply chains remain disrupted, inflation has taken a firm hold, recession and investment pullback are real possibilities.
Not a description of the UK specifically, with these points applying to the majority of places, including the EU. They can rightly be seen as problems but are also reasons for countries to work together more closely.
History has shown us many times that protectionism doesn’t work, only cooperation. This is needed from both sides to improve Brexit and has not been evident to date, both the EU and the UK at times appear inflexible.
A Business Attitude
We are all human and in the commercial world, mistakes happen. Lessons are learned, deals develop, decisions are made which are best for business. Where possible, this is on a win win basis, so that deals last and more can come of them.
There is a reasonable school of thought that Brexit can only be finally settled by forgetting Brexit. The UK and EU need to set aside the past and work together positively, to build a new relationship which benefits us all.
In these pages, as much as we should report reality, we will try to be positive. Businesses large and small continue to attempt to do the same when dealing with our largest trading partner, we simply need politicians to take the same view.