Costs, bureaucracy, delay
Report gives Brexit bad marks
2/9/2022 8:02 am
The report of a parliamentary committee leaves little to a good hair on the impact of Brexit on the British economy. In a state of great liberation, it would have entailed additional burdens. Prime Minister Johnson promises a lot but has no convincing plan, the authors write.
According to a parliamentary report, the “only identifiable effects” of Brexit on British companies are “higher costs, more bureaucracy and delays at the borders”. It is “clear” that Brexit has “had an impact” on the decline in trade, according to the report by the parliamentary committee responsible for overseeing public spending, released on Wednesday.
Committee Chair Meg Hillier of the opposition Labor Party said: “One of the great promises of Brexit was to free British companies to give them more room to maximize their productivity and their contribution to the economy”. This removal of trade barriers is “all the more urgent now on the long road to recovery from the pandemic”. So far, however, Brexit has only led to more burdens.
Government should honestly name problems
The report warned that difficulties at borders would only increase as trade returns to normal and more controls come into effect as planned. “It’s time the government spoke honestly about the problems instead of making exaggerated promises,” Hillier said.
The promise by the government of Brexit champion Boris Johnson to create “the most efficient border in the world” by 2025 is “optimistic”, according to the report. The authors are “not convinced” that the promises are “backed up by a detailed plan”.