Reading: Manufacturers debate Brexit - and fear a 'car-crash'

Fears of a ‘car-crash’ Brexit scenario resulting in international trading issues including red-tape complexity, tax confusion and supply chain delays were some of the worrying topics discussed at a Southern Manufacturing 100 roundtable.

By a show of hands, the majority of roundtablers present viewed Brexit as negatively influencing their ongoing importing and exporting activities.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, this discussion covered several rather downbeat potential outcomes from a protracted ’deal or no deal’ Brexit end-game, since it also took place on the day (November 28) when government long-term economic analysis revealed that any form of Brexit – both deal or no-deal – will make the UK economy worse off long-term compared with staying in the EU.

Official figures say the UK economy could be up to 3.9% smaller after 15 years under Theresa May's Brexit plan, and a no-deal Brexit could deliver a 9.3% decrease.

However, there was Brexit positivity too from roundtablers during the discussion, held at Madejski Stadium’s boardroom in Reading.

And, MHA MacIntyre Hudson partner Kate Arnott announced during the debate that a different key issue had once again topped the list of business concerns revealed in her firm’s annual MHA Manufacturing and Engineering Survey.

The major concern for this sector’s businesses was not Brexit trading issues but lack of available skilled talent – which prompted lively roundtable discussion about the UK’s impending new immigration controls.…

• A full report of this Roundtable discussion, sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson, Lloyds Bank, Taylor Made Computer Solutions, and global insurance broker JLT, will appear soon on this website and in our January/February 2019 magazine.