BSRIA Brexit survey 2018

A Brexit survey conducted in February 2018 among BSRIA members found almost 70% of respondents believe that Brexit has had a negative impact on their business; and that half of those who contributed favour a Swiss model, i.e. a 'soft Brexit'.

When asked if the Brexit negotiations presented members’ businesses with opportunities in the last 18 months – 63% answered 'negatively'; with 37% answering 'no difference'. No member answered 'positively'.

The negative response was due to respective businesses suffering from a lack of market investment; business uncertainty; skills and movement of labour.

Regarding issues which will be of the most importance to the construction industry in the outcome of the UK-EU negotiations, members selected as follows:

Consistency of regulations.
Consistency of standards.
UK influence on regulations.
UK influence on standards.
Access to the single market.

When asked if businesses favoured:

Canada model ('hard Brexit') bilateral trade agreements with the EU.
Norway model ('soft Brexit') and member of the European Economic Area (EEA) instead of EU.
Switzerland model ('soft Brexit') and member of European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Half of BSRIA members responded with the Switzerland model ('soft Brexit'); 31% with the Norway model ('soft Brexit'), and 19% with the Canada model ('hard Brexit').

Clair Prosser, Press Officer, BSRIA, said:

“This survey clearly highlights that BSRIA members do not want to be left stranded and fall off the economic Brexit ‘cliff edge’.

"Business uncertainty and the need for consistency – regulations and standards – are, without a shadow of doubt, anxieties for members. Legislative stability and uniformity is essential. Businesses need to be able to prepare. Balance is needed, this isn’t the time for government to bury its head in the sand. The question needs to be asked: how close will the UK and EU stay on regulation to ensure that industry can trade goods with the minimum of hassle, burdens and bureaucratic hurdles?”

These results mirror the recent Property Week survey, where more than two-thirds said that the vote had negatively affected the property market and a similar number thought the market would continue to be negatively affected when the UK leaves the EU.

This article was originally published here in April 2018 by BSRIA.

--BSRIA