The British government has promised continuing "intensive communication" with business leaders to ensure their concerns over trade, migration and investment are considered as part of the UK's Brexit negotiations with the European Union.Prime Minister Theresa May made the undertaking as she chaired the first meeting of a new business council at Downing Street, attended by business groups including the Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors and British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), the manufacturers' organisation EEF and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).In addition, representatives from major companies considered to be most likely to be affected by EU withdrawal – including Jaguar Land Rover, BAE Systems, Unilever and Tesco – also attended.

Prime Minister attempts to ensure certainty of the government’s position

Mrs May undertook to host a series of follow-up meetings as Brexit negotiations unfolded, along with business summits jointly chaired by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, Business Secretary Greg Clark and Brexit Secretary David Davis.A Downing Street spokesman said that the series of events were intended to provide a forum for top-level engagement with business on the government's Brexit strategy.Mrs May wanted to make sure there was "certainty and understanding of our position" among the business community, said the spokesman, who added, "This is what the start of an intensive communication with business is going to look like. She intends to try to give them that certainty through talking to them privately and by being clear on what our positions are."The prime minister welcomed the valuable contributions which have come from discussions with business at various levels of government over the past year, including on the development of a modern industrial strategy, and emphasised the need for this engagement to intensify over the period ahead."The prime minister looked forward to using future quarterly meetings to hear from as wide a variety of voices as possible to ensure the interests of those who work across a range of sectors can be represented."

Business welcomes increased tempo of engagement with government

Following the meeting, Francis Martin, BCC president, said, “The increased tempo of engagement with business in recent weeks is welcome, as is the prime minister's commitment to sustain that engagement over the crucial months ahead.  “High-level discussions with the prime minister and her Cabinet must continue, but we also need to see sustained and structured discussion with business on the dozens of practical, real-world questions that firms face as a consequence of Brexit. Only by working together on the detail can we minimise disruption and maximise confidence for firms across the UK. “Economic growth is slowing, with Brexit-related uncertainty part of the story. As we work to get the best possible deal with the European Union, the government must not forget to underpin confidence here at home. A domestic agenda that puts the economy and business growth front and centre remains absolutely critical.”

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Mike Cherry, national chairman of the FSB, said business groups were seeing a "very welcome ramp-up in engagement at the most senior ministerial level"."Alongside discussing critical issues facing the domestic economy, this was a timely opportunity to focus on the current Brexit negotiations," he said. "It was also a chance to share our in-depth Brexit research findings, which focused on what our members have told us they want regarding trade, jobs and skills, EU funding and regulation."

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Read David Sapsted's article on Establishing Right to Remain – which discusses the uncertainty over immigration which the UK faces following Brexit – in the Summer 2017 issue of Relocate Magazine.

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For related news and features, visit our Brexit section.

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