Following yesterday's granting of a further Brexit extension, this time to 31 January, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said that continuing to prolong the process only serves to increase uncertainty for retail businesses.
Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, commented, “For the third time, the UK has required an extension to avoid a chaotic no deal Brexit.
"While we have been clear that a no deal Brexit would be disruptive for both consumers and retailers, each repeating cycle of parliamentary impasse and extension is costing retailers hundreds of millions that would be better spent improving customer experience and reducing prices."
Brexit Uncertainty
She added that Brexit uncertainty "continues to take its toll on retailers, as well as on the three million jobs provided by the sector.
“The UK cannot teeter on the edge of Brexit indefinitely," she added. "This extension does not offer time for complacency and it is essential that Parliament commits to resolving Brexit once and for all.”
Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his wishes to hold a general election towards the end of the year, in order to bring an end to what he described as a 'paralysis' in British politics.
"It's time for the voters to have a chance to pronounce on that deal and to replace this dysfunctional parliament with a new parliament that can get Brexit done so the country can move on," he told Parliament.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
