Brexit and Transport

With the Prime Minister’s finger hovering over the Article 50 trigger, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) launched its Brexit Manifesto in February to outline its “key asks” from the negotiation process.

The main themes emerging from the manifesto are:

• The need for barrier-free and “frictionless” access to EU market
• The development of trade deals with other global partners that minimise red tape and border delays
• Investment in world class infrastructure and transport links to seize global opportunities
• Assessment and consultation with industry bodies over regulatory simplification
• A domestic industrial policy that is supportive to the logistics sector including attractive levels of taxation and continued financial support to transition to a low carbon economy
• The need to retain and attract talent into the sector

The full manifesto can be accessed via the FTA website.

Paul Wormald, Partner and Transport and Logistics specialist at Hawsons, had this to say: “The FTA has put forward a very demanding set of requests from the UK Government in this manifesto, garnered via feedback from its members. The logistics industry is key to an efficient, effective and growing economy, generating around £121bn Gross Value Added to the economy, and employs over 2.5 million people. A post-Brexit landscape that is not supportive of the sector is likely to harm the UK’s longer term economic health on several levels.”

Paul added: “The planned cut in government support for the rail freight sector is not a positive sign and it is hoped that there is no further disappointing news in the future. With the future operating environment for businesses in the sector being far from clear, the need for careful and flexible planning and monitoring of performance is paramount. Regular contact with professional advisors is incredibly important so that opportunities can be identified and grasped, and challenges dealt with.”

More from our transport and logistics experts

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Paul Wormald is a partner at Hawsons, working in the Doncaster office. He worked previously with two national firms of Chartered Accountants prior to joining Hawsons in 2001. For more information or advice on anything covered in this article, please contact Paul on pw@hawsons.co.uk or 01302 367 262.[/author_info]