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'Dismay' over Theresa May's Brexit deal as business looks for certainty

Businesses looking for certainty over future trade with Europe found little to cheer about in Theresa May's Brexit deal.

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Major manufacturers fear any Brexit deal that slows down their 'just-in-time' deliveries

Leading Black Country accountant Johnathan Dudley said businesses would be 'absolutely dismayed' by the Prime Minister's Brexit deal.

Mr Dudley, head of manufacturing and Midlands managing partner at Crowe, said: "When the deal was first announced on Wednesday night I thought it would go one of two ways, and one would see a string of ministerial resignations.

"I think, from a business point of view, people will be absolutely dismayed because whatever happens – even if it it is agreed – it is only an interim deal. And that means continued uncertainty.

"All that business wants is some idea of what the rules will be and that there will be a level playing field. Instead there is a lot of prevarication. Kicking the can down the road is the worst possible scenario."

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At Howells Patent Glazing, in Cradley Heath, marketing manager Tracey Jackson was dumbfounded by the string of ministerial resignations: "I am just amazed by all this. What does it say about us as a country when the minister who is supposed to have been negotiating a proper Brexit deal has resigned because he can't support it? It creates even more uncertainty for business.

"We don't export, but a lot of the companies we work with do. How is this going to affect them? And how will that in turn affect us? This has thrown up a lot of new questions and we don't know how this deal may help us – we've only heard outlines so far, not the details.

"I'm not a negative person and I want to find something positive in all this, but I can't see it at the moment. If Theresa May can't convince her own Cabinet, how can she get it through Parliament? If she is still Prime Minister at Christmas I will be amazed."

Tony Hague, of PP Control & Automation near Walsall, said: "Its embarrassing. The Europeans like Barnier must be watching this with glee. It's just ridiculous. We were all hoping that we would see things finally taking shape, but instead its just been unravelling over the last two or three days.

"As far as business is concerned, we have just been getting on with things. Manufacturing is really strong at the moment. To an extent we are just ignoring Brexit until we know what is happening for certain."Mark Bradley, of Wolverhampton-based digital print, signage and production company DIS, was a bit more hopeful if the deal meant the end of uncertainty: "I think I am more optimistic now that there is a deal of some sort on the table. It has been very frustrating as a business watching all the constant in-fighting.

"If there is a deal of some description, then we can work with it – even if it is a worst-case scenario and we have to pay more tax on imports and exports. We just want to know where we stand so we can get on with it. We will work on regardless, we just want to get started."

Tony Sartorius, of Wednesbury aluminium castings busness Alucast, had some sympathy for Mrs May: "The Prime Minister and the Government have had a difficult two years trying to solve the unsolvable. The single market and Customers Union make it so easy for us to trade abroad. Anything that impedes that could have an adverse effect on business and the economy. At least this deal seems to retain the status quo for a couple of years."

But Cannock-based Laser Process Tweeted; "The problem is; who do we vote for? We have no viable opposition. I, and millions of others, have lost faith in politicians generally. Our whole parliamentary process is a laughing stock and ideology is not going to solve the problem #BrexitShambles"

Leading Wolverhampton business figure Henry Carver, managing director of Carvers Building Suppliers, said: "I think this deal is just about acceptable, because otherwise we could end up with a lot more aggravation down the line. Also, no-one has been able to offer a credible alternative that would be acceptable to the EU – least of all Mr Corbyn.

"At the same time there is part of me that wonders about just telling them to 'sod off', given that they sell two and a half times more goods to us than we sell to them. If the EU decided not to let anyone sell into the UK, the queue of lorries would stretch from Calais back to Frankfurt."

But Ian Jackson, senior lecturer in economics and finance at the University of Wolverhampton, felt the deal showed the UK coming off worse in its divorce deal with the European Union.

"I think our negotiators have been outclassed; its absolutely self evident that the EU ran rings around us. Trade negotiations are almost ludicrously difficult, very complicated."

After relying on the EU to negotiate trade deals for 40 years, said Mr Jackson, "We simply didn't have the trained negotiators, data crunchers and economists compared to the other 27 countries.

"The current situation is profoundly worrying in terms of our economy. Tony Blair made many mistakes as Prime Minister but he was right this week when he said this was the worst possible outcome. It pleases no-one and everyone walks away disgruntled.

"It is very worrying for companies like Airbus, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover that rely on easy trade between countries. It is clearly a complete fiction to suggest we can leave and retain frictionless trade."

There was a plea from the region's biggest business organisation, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), urging all politicians to put self interest aside and focus on securing the best outcome. Paul Faulkner, the GBCC’s chief executive, said: “As it stands, there are just 134 days remaining until Brexit, an incredibly short time for negotiating a Brexit deal.

“At a time of undoubted political turmoil we urge all in positions of political power to put self-interest to one side and focus on securing the best outcome for all citizens and businesses in the UK.