On Thursday evening I attended a packed meeting at the Flanders House in London to hear two good economists on the effects of Brexit. Effects that could majorly affect both UK and close European partners in Belgium and Netherlands.. It is quite worrying that people voted in the referendum on inadequate facts and distorted facts. Many working on own personal viewpoints but not understanding all the interconnections of commerce, goods production and reliance on networks for jobs. The deals to be agreed up on this transitional phase are crucial for all to achieve economic strength and stability. A Stability that is no longer predictable and generally needing a new wave of thought and active models to adapt to new emerging markets. Markets that will depend on circular economies with emphasis on recycling and climate change consideration & protection. The first speaker Prof Hylke Vandenbussche presented her work on investigation why Brexit and the impact of Brexit you can read her published paper on this pdf link to Sector-Level Analysis of theImpact of Brexit on the EU-28 take a good long look at her charts and graphs to understand the full implication of Brexit and how deals are needed to protect jobs on both sides.
The second speaker was Frank Van Oort , professor of Urban and Regional Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands. He looked at EU regional competitiveness and the implications of Brexit for UK and EU regions. There is such a lot of interconnections in both services and products. One I see as being a worry is the flower market from Holland - while we have Spalding in Lincolnshire there is no way we can compete with the vastness and the well worked out logistics of the global flower market. There is also a worry that revealed itself in the midlands of potential job losses in UK, the very areas that smashed the Red Labour wall to vote for the Get Brexit Done mantra of the present Tory government. I could add more but I am still reading round the subjects presented. Overall though was good to share with our Belgium friends to hear their take on Brexit.... a result that shocked all us remainers and still makes me smart and weep at the implications if deals not made.....My motherland is taking on an identity I had not wished as though from Ancient Brit stock I always consider myself European and enjoy freely travelling through Europe when on adventures and projects.