Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke MP, visited Telford to attend a roundtable discussion hosted by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The roundtable was attended by local MP, Lucy Allan as well as representatives from the LEP, including LEP Chair, Graham Wynn as well as business leaders across Shropshire and Herefordshire.
Most of the discussion focused on Government plans for Brexit and the effects on local businesses in key sectors such as agri-tech, and advanced manufacturing.
Lucy Allan said:
“It is important that Government ministers take the time to communicate with business about Brexit. This is an uncertain time. What business needs is reassurance that whatever the final deal Government will make the best of it. So I was very pleased that the Secretary of State David Gauke MP came to Telford to talk to our business community and to answer questions and address concerns. Talking to business leaders afterwards they felt it was a positive meeting.
“It is clearly wrong to talk down a “no deal” scenario. Leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms is a possible outcome. The country needs to be ready to move forward on those terms if that is the outcome of negotiations. Denigrating that possible outcome makes success more difficult.
“It was good to hear the Minister being pragmatic as well as providing reassurance to our community. Business has had enough of the extreme voices in this debate - it is time to accept that whatever the outcome of negotiations with the EU, the country will move forward and make a success of our new relationship with Europe.”