Seven members of North East England Chamber of Commerce met with Lord Bridges, DExEU Minister and Greg Hands, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on Friday (24 February 2017) to set out what they see as the challenges and opportunities from exiting the EU.
The businesses represented came from a range of sectors and across the region, they were the Port of Tyne, Bond Dickinson, AES Digital Solutions, Sevcon, Hart Doors, Neue Schule and Sage plc.
Lord Bridges said: “We want the best possible deal for the whole of the UK. One that allows us to be a great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.
“There are a lot of decisions to be made and we are determined to ensure people and businesses in the North East have stability and certainty in the period leading to our departure from the EU.
“That is why conversations like today are vital. We have had a great discussion today and I look forward to continued engagement with business and the public throughout the negotiations.”
Julie Underwood, International Trade Director, North East England Chamber of Commerce said: “We welcomed the opportunity to meet the Minister and enable our members to get information on Brexit at first hand. It is vital our businesses have their main questions answered so they can prepare for our new relationships outside the EU. We look forward to continuing this dialogue with the Minister and his department, these meetings are of exceptional value to Chamber and our members.”
Kevin Robertson, Partner and Head of Bond Dickinson’s Newcastle office said: “This meeting with Lord Bridges was a great opportunity to hear directly from those at the sharp end of delivering Brexit and to learn from fellow chamber members the challenges and opportunities that their businesses are now facing.”
Lesley Moody, managing director, AES Digital Solutions said: ““These were very positive meetings and I was delighted the Minister was so interested to hear our opinions and experiences. I now have a far better understanding of how the Government is approaching the Brexit talks and am pleased that concerns I have about data and our exporting success are part of that agenda.”
Among the issues discussed with the Minister were the role of regional ports in supporting the UK economy; data and digital information sharing and how to support small businesses grow their exporting knowledge and capacity.