26 November 2018

Brexit – what we are doing to help you

Now more than ever, it seems impossible to meet a deadline for my thoughts on Brexit without the situation changing as I write! But in the last day or two a draft deal has been secured – and we still have a Prime Minister - so I’ll do the best I can.

In recent months, the Federation’s been getting to grips with what a deal, or a ‘no deal’, could mean for our industry.  Some of our members’ key concerns have been the introduction of tariffs, non-tariff barriers (crucially, delays on supplies clearing customs), staffing, accessing public sector contracts and what happens if the ‘cliff edge’ happens. Across our membership, there’s a huge variety of degrees to which businesses are prepared. But that’s no different to other industries – the CBI recently found that 94% of businesses find scenario planning difficult due to a lack of available information.

So we’ve been focusing on providing practical information, rather than political speculation. Our monthly Brexit Bulletin has been well received by members, backed up by a dedicated section of our website. Where information is available from Government, we’ve summarised it and made it much more user friendly – it often seems that civil servants underestimate how busy small business owners are, but I’m pleased that they’re getting out and about to find out!

In terms of lobbying, we’ve been working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to ensure they’re fully briefed on how Brexit may affect print. In the summer, along with the Graphics and Print Media Alliance, I took a group of Federation members to a roundtable in Westminster, to discuss Brexit with the Department’s civil servants. We also recently facilitated a trip Prinovis and APS Group in the North West for BEIS policy officials to properly get stuck in. We’ll keep talking to our Government contacts as Brexit draws nearer – it’s a vital time to make sure the industry’s voice is heard.