UK needs new settlement with EU, business group boss urges
The UK’s businesses need a new settlement with the EU, the boss of one of the biggest business groups is urging.
Shevaun Haviland, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), is calling for growth-driven improvements to the UK-EU relationship.
It comes ahead of the organisation’s 2025 Driving International Trade Conference in central London, on Thursday.
Some 400 firms are expected to attend, with foreign secretary David Lammy making a keynote address.
The BCC is also set to take a delegation of British businesses to Washington DC, alongside business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, to meet US ambassador Lord Mandelson.
Speaking at the event, Haviland is expected to urge the government to accelerate efforts to reset UK-EU relations to quickly remove trade barriers, and warn of geopolitical challenges.
‘Working partnership’
She will stress that firms “want to see more than just a reset moment, they want to see a timeline, clear process and eventual agreements to ensure the best working partnership for all our nations”.
And she will say: “We hope the leaders’ UK-EU summit between the Prime Minister and Presidents von der Leyen and Costa in the UK in May is constructive and moves the dial.”
Haviland will also urge: “We must keep a cool head as we begin to grasp this new world order. A new relationship with the EU is more important now than ever given the challenging geopolitics of our time.”
She will warn that: “The challenges of security in Europe and our own national interests mean investment in defence and security must take more of a priority.”
And the BCC boss will emphasise “rebuilding relationships with our closest neighbours; that we are deploying our best negotiators to secure valuable FTAs across the globe; and we do not have a knee-jerk reaction to headlines”.
US v EU choice?
Haviland is also expected to call for the UK not to make a binary choice on the US and EU, arguing: “Trade with Europe and the US is not an either or. It is in our economic interests to maximise the opportunities for UK growth in both.
“A wider conflict on trade would be a lose-lose scenario for the global economy, and we will not be immune from the consequences in the UK. It is vital that the government stays calm.”
But she will stress that “as we witness a daily change in our global supply chains, international markets offer unique advantages for Brand Britain.
“Getting our trade strategy right, grasping opportunities and building the right environment for UK businesses can only lead to growth.”