Tuesday 14 June 2022

Richard Burge, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said:

“We are hugely concerned that the introduction of the Government’s Northern Ireland Bill, published today, risks significant harm to businesses in London and right across the whole of the UK. Getting Brexit done was at least meant to deliver certainty to businesses after years of waiting for clarity on the future of the UK’s trade relations with the European Union. The introduction of this bill means we are now teetering on the brink of a trade war with the EU and that will mean further economic pain and falls in investment.

"The UK is already set to be the worst performing economy in the G20 over the next year, why would Government risk further economic harm at a moment of inflationary pressure and major land war in Europe? While the protection of the UK internal market is important, it is equally as important to have macroeconomic stability, especially during this cost of living and cost of doing business crises. We urge the Government to carefully consider the impact that playing politics with the Protocol could have on the British economy.”

ENDS