[Anonymous]

[TominScotland]

We currently have a well-articulated debate on this Forum about the wider consequences of the Referendum (Is this the beginning of the end for the EU and the United Kingdom?). Is it premature for us, as business travellers, to try to unravel what the up-coming changes might mean for us in this role? Is BT willing and able to lead such a discussion at this stage?

To start this thread, I think we will see immediate consequences in terms of decisions about airport expansion (delays again!!!!) and HS2. Prices for travel will rise sharply – we are already seeing that – but for how long? Longer-term, what else might be affected? I certainly do not think that extreme gloom-mongers predicting visas within Europe are anywhere near the mark…. Border posts within the boundaries of the current UK?

Thoughts?

[MrMichael]

I think it will make very little difference to the current travel situation. I say that Because TomInScotland your dead right on runways and investment in infrastructure in the short to medium term. I think prices will rise only because of the uncertainty about oil prices and currency’s, otherwise business as usual.

[stevescoots]

I am with Mr Micheal on this

[pheighdough]

I agree on the travel situation, nothing will change for quite a long time as we still need to trade whilst we negotiate our way out.

With the imminent departure of Mr Cameron and a likely new PM in Boris we can kiss goodbye to a third runway at Heathrow, say hello to a second runway at Gatwick and watch whilst the new leader tries to build an island oasis in the Thames Estuary.

[canucklad]

Great question Tom
For me it all depends on the short term reactions to where find ourselves. This will ultimately dictate the answer to your question.
What I’d like to see happen next and what’s actually happening IMO is threatening long term growth.

Listening to CEO’s of certain companies starting to talk negatively about their companies/ employee’s /investments future in the UK is foolhardy. At the very least it’s throwing fuel on the fire of uncertainty and as a consequence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy!
Less than a week after the vote, these individuals are demonstrating short term MANAGERS skills based on reaction rather than what I’d like to see.

What I’d love to see is LEADERS stepping up to the mark and pro-actively being positive about their companies future.

We’re in a period of change, like it or lump it, change is coming, and the question is, where are these CEO’s on the change curve model.

Whether you agree or disagree with their policies, It’s the difference between Nicola Sturgeon and Angela Merkel’s response and that of Junkers, Johnston, Osborne et al.
I’m not even going to comment on the Omni shambles that the Labour party have slid into.

[SimonS1]

I’m in the middle of a 3 week roadshow around ME and Africa and few clients have even raised it. To be honest I think we are making more of it than most other countries.

In terms of travel, it won’t make any difference.

[FDOS_UK]

It won’t make any difference to me, because the clients I work with will continue to work with me, as I am excellent at what I do and the supply pool is somewhat constrained.

[Bath_VIP]

For me personally, I am already better off in business. The falling pound means that a contract I’ve concluded with a company in New York which was denominated in dollars is now worth more. Furthermore, they’ve proposed part payment in shares and I’ve decided what the hell, let’s have a go at that. I said to them, what with Brexit, it’s time to do things differently!

One thing that I raised during the referendum was that there are 3 kinds of businesses. Businesses either sell goods, regulated services or unregulated services. Goods are easy to tax so the issue of the single market and whether access continues will create uncertainty. Regulated services are in a different place since most regulation is at the national level so a single market doesn’t really exist as you have to deal with multiple regulators which will continue after Brexit. Unregulated services generally don’t face tariffs so the issue there is non-tariff barriers such as cost of travel, insurance & visas and the uncertainty there is whether EU travel will be restricted which I consider to be unlikely.

My business falls in the unregulated services and so I am not worried about it being affected by Brexit.

I agree with others that some business leaders are being premature in their announcements. One of the uncertainties they have to address is whether the EU or the Euro or both will still exist in its current form in 2 or 3 years time. Any company looking to relocate from Britain will have to account for that uncertainty as well.

[LuganoPirate]

Bath, I think the EU will continue to exist in a few years but maybe with less members. Forcing countries to join the Euro and insisting all € denominated trades be carried out in Euroland (ie Germany or France) is very foolish and will hasten the Euro’s demise – so indeed the Euro may not be here in a few years.

As form business travel, it will make little difference. The only distant risk is if the EU insists Brits have visa’s for entry into the EU using the terrorism excuse. I doubt this will happen but it is a small risk nonetheless.

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