Regardless of whether people supported or opposed the vote to leave , it is time to dig deep and find the best solutions for building business beyond the temporarily roiled waters of European trade .
FOREWORD BY PETER SNELL
CEO - IPSOS BUSINESS CONSULTING
Britain ’ s momentous decision to leave the European Union was a tremendous shock for those who voted to remain , the country ’ s trading partners and even many who had cast their ballots to leave .
It was , without doubt , the nation ’ s most significant constitutional decision in living memory . While the decision has been made , it will take time to see how the cards will fall . As such it is impossible to accurately predict what effect “ Brexit ” will have on Britain , the EU and the rest of the world .
We all hope for a pragmatic solution to the question of how exactly the UK will disentangle itself from the EU and whether it will remain part of the bloc ’ s customs union with access to its single market . These are nerve-wracking times , nevertheless . The British government says it will trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty — thus starting the two-year process of defining the terms of Britain ’ s exit from the EU — by the end of March 2017 . The process will likely be protracted and involve its fair share of contentious debates and negotiations as all parties focus on resolving intricate legal and bureaucratic details .
Britain will be freer to determine the nature of its trade relations with other nations once it is unencumbered by EU law . Such agreements have the potential to be more advantageous for the UK than those signed as part of the European grouping . However , Britain cannot formally negotiate new trade agreements until Brexit has been completed and the country has officially left the EU . So what to do in the meantime ?
CREATING OPPORTUNITY : How to build a new era of trade for Brexit Britain seeks to clarify this quandary by presenting a positive case for redefining British trade in the 21st century . It draws on our global network of trade experts and emerging market specialists at Ipsos Business Consulting — a team with decades of experience helping clients identify and exploit opportunities around the world — to provide a non-partisan , apolitical look at opportunities and partnerships that exist outside of mainland Europe .
It is also a call for the British people to draw on their natural strengths for doing business — the island nation has been trading in one form or another since the Bronze Age and championed the birth and development of global free trade .
Regardless of whether people supported or opposed the vote to leave , it is time to dig deep and find the best solutions for building business beyond the temporarily waters of European trade . From adversity comes opportunity , and establishing trade further afield will help build a stronger , more sustainable and connected base for generations to come .
Britain ’ s future depends on it .
Peter Snell
CEO Ipsos Business Consulting
“ ”
Regardless of whether people supported or opposed the vote to leave , it is time to dig deep and find the best solutions for building business beyond the temporarily roiled waters of European trade .