Logistics expert calls for end to uncertainty

Adam Johnson, director of Leeds-based Tudor International Freight, said his organisation, its customers and other affected Yorkshire businesses were becoming frustrated at the country’s politicians delaying crucial decisions around Brexit with the UK due to leave the EU on March 29.

He said: “We’ve had the postponement of the so-called Commons meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement negotiated by the Prime Minister with the EU, because it would have been rejected, which would, at least, have allowed one option to be eliminated.

“That was followed by Mrs May visiting various EU capitals and attending the Brussels summit, in a bid to secure concessions making her deal more palatable to MPs, which seem to have yielded little.

“We’ve also had the distraction of an abortive attempt to topple the Prime Minister by some Conservative MPs, which, even if successful, would have been unlikely to change much in the Brexit picture.”

Mr Johnson said it seems to him that the meaningful vote was pushed back to the New Year because Mrs May was still hoping for something to turn up which would enable her deal to be passed.

He added: “Business is, rightly, usually very reluctant to intervene in politics. That’s why my own organisation expressed no preference in the approach to the 2016 referendum for remain or leave.

“This also explains why we haven’t advocated a particular form of Brexit since then, other than to endorse the widespread view among companies that a ‘no-deal’ departure would be highly undesirable for our economy. What business does have a right to expect from politicians, at this late stage, however, is a high degree of certainty, and that’s still lacking.

“Companies are usually capable of adapting to changing circumstances – they have to be – but they do need time to plan properly for significant alterations like our departure from the EU.”

Tudor International Freight employs 25 staff.