AFP, London :
UK business leaders breathed a sigh of relief Friday as Britain and the EU sealed a first Brexit deal, saying it opened the door to an accord on trade, the “true prize”.
“The breakthrough in Brussels shows that where there is a will, there is a way,” Josh Hardie, deputy director general of UK business lobby group the CBI, said in a statement.
Companies’ spirits had been lifted ahead of Christmas, he said, but “it’s now time to focus on the true prize of a new relationship and a deal” on trade.
The European Commission on Friday announced that it “recommends sufficient progress” had been made by Britain on separation issues including the Irish border, Britain’s divorce bill, and citizens’ rights.
Responding, UK finance minister Philip Hammond called the deal a “boost for Britain’s economy”, before echoing the urgency felt by business:
“Now let’s conclude a trade deal that supports Britain’s jobs, businesses and prosperity,” he said.
Official data Friday revealed flat UK industrial production in October- the worst performance since March-alongside news of sliding construction output and a widening trade deficit.
Prime Minister Theresa May has committed to seeking a two-year transition deal for the UK once it exits the EU in March 2019, but the matter has yet to be addressed in negotiations.
“We need to get agreement on the transition period,” Edwin Morgan, head of policy at business leader organisation the Institute of Directors, told AFP.
UK business leaders breathed a sigh of relief Friday as Britain and the EU sealed a first Brexit deal, saying it opened the door to an accord on trade, the “true prize”.
“The breakthrough in Brussels shows that where there is a will, there is a way,” Josh Hardie, deputy director general of UK business lobby group the CBI, said in a statement.
Companies’ spirits had been lifted ahead of Christmas, he said, but “it’s now time to focus on the true prize of a new relationship and a deal” on trade.
The European Commission on Friday announced that it “recommends sufficient progress” had been made by Britain on separation issues including the Irish border, Britain’s divorce bill, and citizens’ rights.
Responding, UK finance minister Philip Hammond called the deal a “boost for Britain’s economy”, before echoing the urgency felt by business:
“Now let’s conclude a trade deal that supports Britain’s jobs, businesses and prosperity,” he said.
Official data Friday revealed flat UK industrial production in October- the worst performance since March-alongside news of sliding construction output and a widening trade deficit.
Prime Minister Theresa May has committed to seeking a two-year transition deal for the UK once it exits the EU in March 2019, but the matter has yet to be addressed in negotiations.
“We need to get agreement on the transition period,” Edwin Morgan, head of policy at business leader organisation the Institute of Directors, told AFP.
