Following the Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech to EU leaders at the Leaders’ Summit in Brussels, Brigid Simmonds, Chief Executive, British Beer & Pub Association, comments:
“Theresa May’s desire to give citizens who have settled in the UK certainty is most welcome, as we have continually called for clarity for our workforce.
“It will offer reassurance, too, that both parties want to get this issue resolved quickly, and the BBPA will be closely monitoring the outcome of these negotiations.
“This is an issue of key importance for our sector, as around 23 per cent of the current UK pub workforce is from the European Union, and this figure is much higher in metropolitan areas.
“We also want to see progress on robust transitional arrangements to run over a number of years, and efforts towards ensuring trade is as free as possible, with frictionless customs arrangements between Britain and the EU.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
David Wilson, Director of Public Affairs: 020 7627 9151
Neil Williams, Head of Media: 020 7627 9156 / 07974 249 779
Tom Pratt, Campaigns & Communications Officer 020 7627 9155
Notes to editors:
The British Beer & Pub Association is the leading body representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies. The Association is more than a century old and was originally founded as the Brewers’ Society in 1904. Our members account for some 90 per cent of beer brewed in Britain today, and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs.