Farmers, hoteliers and caterers say leaked proposals to limit free movement would spell catastrophe – but what would they really mean?
A previously muted British business establishment is now in full cry over Brexit. The leak last week of proposals to restrict the ability of European Union nationals to live and work in the UK were described as “catastrophic” by one employers’ group. Voices from housebuilding to aerospace, farming and hotels raised concerns over the plans, which signalled a hard Brexit is very much on the cards.
The warning of catastrophe came from the British Hospitality Association, while the National Farmers Union said the draft Home Office plans would cause “massive disruption to the entire food supply chain”. The reaction was also fuelled by the government’s refusal to disown the plans, alongside its apparent support of a hard Brexit agenda. We answer the key questions raised by the leak, including the potential consequences for the UK economy.