UK must stop walking on eggshells for post-Brexit deal, says BCC chief | Brexit

The UK's current trade deal with the EU is not working and the country must stop walking on eggshells over building closer ties with its biggest trading partner, the director general of British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

At the BCC's annual global conference in London on Thursday, Shevaun Haviland will say the UK should forge closer ties with the EU and the next government should focus on improving trade relations to boost the economy.

We need to stop walking on eggshells and start telling it like it is, Haviland says.

The current plan does not work for our members. But better trading conditions are possible if the UK and EU governments agree on areas of mutual benefit to business on both sides. A better deal is better for everyone.

The intervention comes amid an election campaign where the two main political parties have largely stayed away from the Brexit debate. Labor and the Conservatives have been criticized for their reluctance to discuss how successful Brexit has been and future EU policies.

In an interview earlier this month, Keir Starmer had to deny he was afraid to talk about the issue, instead saying he was determined to build a closer and better relationship with the EU and improve Boris Johnsons failed deal.

Businesses have criticized the extra red tape and increased costs Brexit has imposed on firms importing and exporting goods to and from the continent.

Food and plant importers have been hit by allegations related to new Brexit border controls brought in at the end of April, with some logistics companies saying the changes have added up to 60% to transport costs.

Other businesses have complained that the growing divergence in standards, such as those around building products, has made it more expensive for UK companies to get their products certified for sale on the continent.

Haviland's comments come as the BCC made improving relations with the EU one of its key demands for the next government, saying the move would reduce costs for businesses.

The trade body is made up of 53 regional chambers of commerce linked to a central body and says it represents 50,000 businesses in the UK, which together employ six million people.

Its demands cover several specific policies, including securing a complementary agreement with the EU to remove the complexity of exporting food for small and medium-sized enterprises and ensuring that there are no new trade barriers created by linking trading schemes of UK and EU emissions.

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It is also lobbying for a new deal that would allow UK companies to travel and work in Europe for longer.

The Labor Party has said that it will not return to the single market, customs union or freedom of movement, but wants to deepen ties with Europe.

This includes negotiating a veterinary agreement to prevent border checks to help touring artists secure visas, while also promising an agreement on professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters.

The Conservative manifesto says the party will aim to build on the UK's trade and cooperation deal with the EU, but would not agree to anything that would infringe on the country's sovereignty or involve submission to the court of justice. European Union.

He also said he wanted to take the benefits of Brexit further by signing more trade deals, speeding up infrastructure developments, cutting red tape for business and creating new fishing opportunities.

Haviland will also use her speech to call for a long-term economic growth plan with a vision of up to 20 years and to warn that action is needed to fix the UK's growing skills shortages.