BRC blasts dithering politicians, warns on no deal Brexit

A no deal Brexit in October would present the worst of all worlds for UK High Streets and those who shop there, according to Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium.

“Retailers will be preparing for Christmas, stretching already limited warehousing capacity, and the UK will be importing the majority of its fresh food from the EU, magnifying the impact of border delays,” she says.

Dickinson was responding to Prime Minister Theresa May’s announcement that her Withdrawal Agreement Bill would include a vote on whether to hold a second referendum. "The biggest problem in Britain today is its politics, this deal can fix that," she said, warning that Brexit risks "slipping away from us" and that Britain could lose "a great opportunity".

“The blunt truth is that there is still no clear path out of the current political deadlock. If we are to make progress then politicians need to step up to the plate,” Dickinson comments. “It is not enough to say they are against no deal, they must use their votes in Parliament to find a deal that prevents this looming catastrophe. Once a deal is passed, the Government must then work toward a trade deal that provides for frictionless, tariff-free trade with the EU.