News

Brexit: A wave to surf not to drown in.

Posted: 02/11/2018

As the clocks have gone back and dark evenings are upon us it will be Christmas before we know it and then having endured the 4 months of gloom we will be smack into March and Brexit.

I recall the last almost worldwide panic as we approached the Millennium as in the Millennium Bug and the possible effect of the clocks within our computers making planes fall from the sky and operating theatres and hospital equipment shutting down to say nothing of our data on our screens dissolving in front of our eyes as the clock turned to midnight.

Of course, nothing happened. It was an anti-climax, fortunately. I don’t think I am alone in expecting the fever pitch to get worse as the Brexiteers seek to convince us that all will be well and the Remainers or Remoaners cast doom and gloom on the process and the likelihood of all of us being worse off come the 30th March 2019.

There are actually only two absolutes in the result (apart from death and taxes); one, we don’t know what will happen other than the fact that nothing will change because of the Transition Arrangement and; two, the sun will rise in the morning.

Somehow, the business community has to look beyond the uncertainty and damage which the process of Brexit is bringing about.

Having attended the Examiner Business Awards last evening I was struck by the fact that not one person I spoke to and not one of the participants or finalists nor the winners of any category mentioned Brexit. It did not feature at all. I got the distinct feeling that the business community was implying, to paraphrase Mercutio ; “A pox on both their houses”.

There was strong competition last evening and it was very heartening to see the commitment and success of our local companies despite difficult trading conditions. Our entrepreneurs and genuine wealth creators deserve our encouragement and thanks because without them we have no NHS, armed forces or other public service.
We may be about to enter the gloom of winter but judging from last night’s event a bright light of optimism shines over many of our businesses who will not allow the process of Brexit to get in their way. Brexit will be a wave to surf not to drown in so far as our business community is concerned.

Mark S Hanson BSc FRICS