The UKTBC will explore how  two intertwined priorities, trade and defence, can be balanced, and whether a shifting political context offers an opportunity to expedite progress in both areas. In particular the UKTBC considers likely outcomes of the summit and what actions may be required to deliver meaningful progress in UK-EU relations.

Witnesses

ANTON SPISAK, Associate Fellow, Centre for European Reform

SOPHIA GASTON, UK Foreign Policy Lead, ASPI; and Visiting Fellow, Department of War Studies, KCL

DAVID HENIG, Director of the UK Trade Policy Project, European Centre for International Political Economy

Our panellists joined the UKTBC in calling for an independent body that could contribute to the trade policy landscape in the UK. The UK Trade and Business Commission recommended that the Board should have a wide remit of work in which to engage. 

In particular the UKTBC recommend that an independent Board of Trade would;

a) Produce an annual trade report

b) Determine the impacts of trade agreements

c) Collaborate with Government and Parliamentary committees

d) Conduct an annual stakeholder survey

Witnesses

PROFESSOR L. ALAN WINTERS, Commissioner of the UK Trade and Business Commission and Co-Director, Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy

PETER HARDWICK, Trade Policy Adviser, British Meat Processors Association

SIR VINCE CABLE, former Business Secretary

PROFESSOR CLAIR GAMMAGE, Head of School, University of Exeter Law School

PHOEBE CLAY, Director, Unchecked UK

The introduction of the new Border Target Operating Model (TOM) from the end of January next year will see import checks introduced on products coming into the UK from the EU of plant and animal origin.

As a logistics and haulage business, a huge number of FreshLinc's suppliers are affected by the changes, and FreshLinc is having to navigate the new regulatory landscape on their behalf. With the introduction of the TOM repeatedly pushed back, coping with uncertainty and shifting expectations has been challenging for FreshLinc.

The UKTBC team attended FreshLinc to find out more about the challenges they're facing, and what they need from Government to ensure that the introduction of the TOM does not negatively affect their business. 

Commissioners met with:

DAVE MARTIN, General Manager Customs & European Operations

JONNY BROSTER, General Manager FloraLinc

ROBIN HANCOX, Executive Chairman

LEE JUNIPER, Chief Executive Officer

SHANE BRENNAN, Outgoing Chief Executive, Cold Chain Federation

Cemex initially reached out to the UK Trade and Business Commission some months ago to highlight a few areas of concern. As the EU moves ahead with its CBAM, Cemex has concerns about the lack of alignment between the EU and UK ETS systems, and about this potential to affect FDI into the UK (they are the largest Mexican investor in the UK). They are also concerned about the shifting regime around conformity assessment in the UK, and how this may affect their ability access cutting edge technologies if these are not conformity assessed for the UK market. 

The UKTBC team decided to arrange a site visit to Cemex in order to gather some evidence on the ground and speak to those who work in industries directly affected by shifting Government policy with regards to trade and international cooperation.

Witnesses:

PANEL 1: CBAM AND ETS

• LAURA KELLY, Director, Shaping Sustainable Markets, International Institute for Environment and Development

• LUCA TASCHINI, Professor, University of Edinburgh Business School

• CHIMDI OBIENU, Research Consultant, Carbon Economy, EcoAct

PANEL 2: TRADE POLICY AND NET ZERO

• JONNY PETERS, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G

• GUDRUN CARTWRIGHT, Climate Action Director, Business in the Community

• ESIN SERIN, Policy Fellow, Grantham Research Institute, LSE

3. OTHER ORGANISATIONS CONSULTED

• TRANSFORM TRADE

• BOND

• CEMEX

The UKTBC Commission recognises the importance of decarbonisation process globally and the further importance of ensuring that efforts by the UK government align with our EU counterparts.

Witnesses

PANEL ONE:

PROFESSOR LUCA TASCHINI,  University of Edinburgh Business School

LAURA KELLY, Director, Shaping Sustainable Markets, International Institute for Environment and Development

CHIMDI OBIENU, Research Consultant, Carbon Economy, EcoAct

PANEL TWO:

ESIN SERIN, Policy Fellow, Grantham Research Institute, LSE

GUDRUN CARTWRIGHT, Climate Action Director, Business in the Community

JONNY PETERS, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G

The UKTBC also looked at the road to negotiating a reciprocal youth mobility scheme between the UK and EU and highlighted the importance of such a scheme for economic, social and cultural purposes.

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

GEORGE PERETZ KC, Monckton Chambers

DANI LOUGHRAN, Managing Director, Aston Chemicals

WILLIAM BAIN, Head of Trade, British Chamber of Commerce

PANEL 2:

CATHERINE BARNARD, Professor of European and Employment Law, University of Cambridge

MARLEY MORRIS, Associate Director for Migration, Trade and Communities, IPPR

JONATHAN PORTES, Professor of Economic and Public Policy, King’s College London

The UKTBC found that;

a) UK trade has reduced significantly since Brexit and new trade deals forged by the UK Government have not yet had a big impact.

b) The UK can learn from other countries how best to position itself within the current global trading environment.

c) The UK does not have a coherent, demand-led and worker-centred approach to trade policy. Aligning domestic policy and national security with trade strategy will allow the UK to improve and develop its position in international trade.

Witnesses

SIR PETER WESTMACOTT GCMG LVO, Former UK Ambassador to the United States

PROFESSOR LORAND BARTELS MBE, Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge

LAURENCE TURNER, Head of Research and Policy, GMB

IANA DREYER, Founder and Editor, Borderlex

DR KATI SUOMINEM, Founder and CEO, Nextrade Group

JAMES KANE, Associate, Institute for Government

Worker shortages and skills shortages sit side by side. While importing labour cannot be seen as the full solution to workforce shortages, it may be the only solution several industries can adopt in order to immediately alleviate labour pressures they are feeling. Similarly, with regards to skills shortages, training alone cannot be the answer without proper solutions in place for forecasting worker shortages in the immediate and longer-term future. 

Skills shortages are also part of the questions surrounding the UK as a destination for inward investment or FDI. A huge risk to FDI into the UK is an inadequate skills infrastructure. Without being assured of staffing and skills capacity, companies will be reluctant to open new branches in the UK. 

This session explored these issues in more detail to establish exactly what is needed from the UK Government in order to strengthen the UK’s skills potential and its ability to attract investment.

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

PROFESSOR TERENCE HOGARTH, Institute for Employment Research

BECCI NEWTON, Director, Public Policy Research, Institute for Employment Research

ALEXANDRA HALL-CHEN, Principal Policy Advisor for Sustainability, Skills and Employment, Institute of Directors

PANEL 2:

NIGEL DRIFFIELD, Professor of International Business, Warwick University Business School

JENNY TOOTH, Chief Executive, UK Business Angels Association

RUPERT GATHER, Group Executive Chairman, InvestUK

The report highlights the importance of regulatory alignment with the EU and maintains that healthcare should be an important aspect of future trade negotiations, whilst keeping the privatisation of the NHS off the negotiating table.

Witnesses

PETER ELLINGWORTH, Chief Executive, Association of British HealthTech Industries

MARTHA McCAREY, Brexit and Health Researcher, Nuffield Trust

TAMARA HERVEY, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law, City University London

KATE LING, Senior European Policy Manager, NHS Confederation

DR NICK MANN, GP, Keep our NHS Public

The key findings of the report produced by the UKTBC were that:

a) It is necessary for a trading strategy to consider regional and local contexts for it to work for businesses across the UK.

b) Devolved governments are important stakeholders in trade policy, but the institutional structures that have been put in place to support their involvement are not effective in practice.

c) Brexit has impacted both devolution and regional growth across the UK.

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

STACEY DINGWALL, Head of Policy (Scotland), Federation of Small Businesses

BILLY MELO-ARAUJO, Senior Lecturer, Queen's University Belfast, School of Law

DR LUDIVINE PETETIN, Reader of Law, Cardiff University School of Law and Politics

PANEL 2:

PAUL SWINNEY, Director of Policy and Research, Centre for Cities

EMMA DEGG, Chief Executive, North West Business Leadership Team

PROFESSOR GRAEME ATHERTON, Head, Centre for Inequality and Levelling Up

The second panel focused on standards and protections. Now that the UK has left the EU, it is more important than ever to maintain high standards and strong regulation of these standards to aid cooperation and trade with neighbours but also for consumer confidence and production.

This session covered environmental and standards protection policies as well as an overall strategy for how they can be a key part of trade negotiations.

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

JONNY PETERS, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G

PAUL EKINS, Director, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources

DR STEFANIA LOVO, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Reading

PANEL 2:

SCOTT STEEDMAN, Director General, Standards, British Standards Institution

LORRAINE TURNER, Accreditation Director, UKAS

PHOEBE CLAY, Co-director, Unchecked UK

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

• RICHARD GRIFFITHS, Chief Executive, British Poultry Council

• NICK VON WESTERNHOLZ, Director of Trade and Business Strategy, National Farmers’ Union

• ORLA DELARGY, Head of Public Affairs, Sustain

PANEL 2:

• ELSPETH MACDONALD, Chief Executive, Scottish Fishermen’s Federation

• BRYCE STEWART,Senior Lecturer, University of York

• CHRIS WILLIAMS, UK Fisheries Expert, International Transport Workers’ Federation

• PHIL HASLAM, Managing Director, North Atlantic Fishing Company

The UK is widely recognised for its world leading finance sector. The industries in this sector have been particularly important for UK economic growth for the past thirty years but face new challenges post-Brexit. This session gathered evidence with the aim of gaining an understanding of the challenges, priorities, and future opportunities in finance and financial innovation from a panel of six leading experts.

The UKTBC found that the financial sector is facing unprecedented regulatory uncertainty and furthermore is being undermined by a workers and skills shortage. The UKTBC further highlight the significance of these shortcomings given the importance of the financial sector to the UK economy as a whole.

Witnesses

PANEL 1:

• WILLIAM WRIGHT, Founder and Managing Director, New Financial

• PROFESSOR SARAH HALL, Professor of Economic Geography, University of Nottingham

• JEREMMY OKONJO, Assistant Professor, University of Warwick School of Law

PANEL 2:

• HARRY WEBER-BROWN, Digital Innovation Director, TISA UK

• MARTINA GARCIA, CEO, Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation

• PETER CUNNANE, Director of International & National Initiatives, Innovate Finance

The UK Trade and Business Commission took evidence on the best approaches with which to conduct future international trading relationships. Ensuring that trade maximises domestic priorities while also strengthening international partnerships is an important balance to achieve, and it is critical going forward that the UK does not sacrifice its overall aims and goals by rushing insufficient trade deals which do not feed into overall UK objectives. The panel discussed critical trade policy priorities, as well as the considerations that constantly need to be weighed up when forging trade deals moving forward.

Witnesses

MICHAEL GASIOREK, Director, UK Trade Policy Observatory

SALLY JONES, UK Trade Strategy and Brexit Leader, EY

MARCO FORGIONE, Director General, The Institute of Export and International Trade

PROFESSOR CLAIR GAMMAGE, Director of Global Engagement, University of Exeter Law School

ELITSA GARNIZOVA, Founder and Director, LSE Consulting’s Trade Policy Hub 

MUSTAFA QADRI, Founder and Executive Director, Equidem Research and Consulting

This session analysed the UK’s culture and art sector from a range of perspectives. The committee heard from seven expert witnesses about the significant contribution of these sectors to the UK economy as well as the threats it faces with difficult economic times ahead.

Witnesses highlighted that the sector has a vital part to play in how the UK presents itself internationally. The session explored how the broader economic effects are impacting the UK’s culture sector and considered how the sector can be benefitted by global economic cooperation. Witnesses asked the Government to recognise how the sector can also be a driver for the UK to work with and trade with other nations.

Witnesses

• DAVID FURNISH, CEO, Rocket Entertainment Group

• JOHN GOLDBERG, Creative Director, Theatre Royal Wakefield

• DR MARGHERITA LAERA, Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre, Kent University School of Arts

• ROISE GOAN, Artistic Director, Artsadmin

• PROFESSOR CHRISTOPHER SMITH, Executive Chair, Arts and Humanities Research Council

• ELAINE BEDELL, Chief Executive, Southbank Centre

• PAULINE BURT, CEO, Ffilm Cymru Wales

Both the UK’s manufacturing and construction sectors have struggled with challenging economic conditions over the past year - and yet both sectors are pivotal to UK domestic growth. With UK manufacturing predicted to see a downturn over the coming year, it was vital for the Commission to explore how the Government and the trade agreements it forges can prevent sector slump and and grow a sector which provides many high-skilled, high-wage jobs, and historically demonstrates significant productivity for its size. 

UK construction has seen an expansion over the past year, but it faces acute workforce challenges and is affected heavily by fluctuating demand in the economy.

PANEL 1:

• FERGUS McREYNOLDS, Director of EU & International Affairs, Make UK

• SIMON COLLINGWOOD, Head of External Relations and Communications, AMRC

• JACK SEMPLE, Secretary, Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA)

PANEL 2:

• D’MARIS COFFMAN, Director, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL

• NOBLE FRANCIS, Economics Director, Construction Products Association

• VINCENT CLANCY, Chief Executive, Turner & Townsend (on behalf of RICS)

The Commission held two back to back panel discussions on the Bill - the first covering the effects of the legislation on business, and the second looking at the legal and democratic implications of the legislation. 

There has been significant criticism of the Bill, and the Commission sought to delve deeper into some of the issues that have already been raised.

Witnesses across both sessions made clear that the legislation probably needs to be dropped - or at the very least that the sunset date for retained EU law must be extended. Witnesses were clear that the legislation originated from an ideological place and in many ways did not have practical thinking behind it. While witnesses generally accepted the need to begin examining EU laws as they are retained in UK law, they were clear that the method the Bill adopts of simply allowing laws to disappear is not the right way forward.

Simon Joyston-Bechal, Director, Turnstone Law

Simon Joyston-Bechal is the Director at Turnstone Law and is one of the UK’s leading health and safety lawyers. With over 25 years of experience as a solicitor, Simon specialises in regulatory defence. He previously qualified as a doctor and has a unique perspective to bring on technical, safety and health related legal issues. 

Rosa Crawford, Policy Officer, TUC

Rosa Crawford is a Policy Officer at the TUC with a special focus on trade. She leads on international trade advocacy for the TUC, as well as on UK-EU and Brexit advocacy. Rosa is a member of a number of Department for International Trade advisory groups and represents the TUC on the European Trade Union Confederation international trade committee.

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, British Chambers of Commerce

William Bain leads on the development of policy around UK-EU and UK-Rest of World trade. William has spoken at major conferences on the implications of Brexit for financial services and has also worked to advise clients on interconnected matters relating to Brexit, including the impact on financial services. 

Neil Warwick, Partner, DAC Beachcroft LLP

Neil Warwick heads up the EU and Competition Law Team in the UK for DAC Beachcroft. With expertise in state aid and EU structural funding, Neil is highly knowledgeable on matters relating to Brexit and its legal implications. Neil has given evidence on Brexit to the House of Lords and House of Commons Select Committees and is also Policy Chair for Foreign Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses.

George Peretz KC, specialist in European law

George Peretz KC is a specialist in European law and is part of the Bar Council’s working group on Retained EU Law. George is from Monckton Chambers and has written widely on Brexit-related legal issues, with articles in the Guardian and Prospect Magazine. He has also contributed to BBC Radio 4 documentaries on the subject. 

Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, UK in a Changing Europe

Jill Rutter is a Senior Research Fellow at UK in a Changing Europe. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government where she directed the organisation’s work on better policy making. She is an expert commentator on Brexit and has written at length on issues concerned with Government and the constitution.

Witnesses

 Panel One (10am - 11am):

• Valery Demure, Industry Expert and CEO, Valery Demure Consultancy

• Kate Hills, CEO and Founder, Make it British

• Jenny Holloway, CEO, Fashion Enter

• Paul Alger, Director of International Affairs, UK Fashion & Textile Association

Panel Two (11am - 12pm):

• Mohan Kaul, President, Indian Partnership Forum

• George Holt, Senior Researcher, Trade Justice Movement

• Amrita Saha, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

The UK Trade and Business Commission used this session to look at the areas which the UK should prioritise in terms of food policy moving forwards; the issues that the UK Government need to fix in order to relieve the pressures of the cost of living crisis; and how UK Agriculture can be better supported moving forwards.

Commissioners met with:

PANEL 1:

• ALFIE STIRLING, Director of Research and Chief Economist, New Economics Foundation

• PROFESSOR DAVID BLANCHFLOWER, Professor of Economics, Dartmouth College and the University of Stirling

• JAMES SMITH, Research Director, Resolution Foundation

• FRANCES COPPOLA,  Economic commentator and writer. 

PANEL 2:

• JOSH GREEN, Head of Public Affairs. Beer and Pub Association:

• CRAIG BEAUMONT, Chief of External Affairs, Federation of Small Businesses 

• HELEN DICKINSON, CEO, British Retail Consortium

This session was chaired by HILARY BENN MP

This session was chaired by Hilary Benn MP

Panel 1: Canada FTA: 3:00 pm- 4:00 pm.

Evidence from:

• Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada

• Andrew Casey, CEO, BIOTECanada

• Colin Barker, Senior Trade Commissioner, Canadian High Commission

Panel 2: USA FTA: 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm.

Evidence from:

• Emanuel Adam, Chief Trade and Policy Officer, British American Business

• Nick Crook, Head of International Relations, Unison

• Brendan Boyle, US Congress