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EU and international briefing

As the Conservative party gains a majority in the General Election, the CBI looks at the early priorities of the new government.

17 Dec 2019, 3 min read

Following the general election on 12 December the Prime Minister and the Conservative party secured a working majority of 80, taking 365 of the 650 seats. After over three years of political gridlock and uncertainty, the government’s new mandate creates an opportunity to put an end to damaging uncertainty and rebuild business confidence.

The government looks likely to bring the Withdrawal Agreement Bill before MPs on Friday. With the newfound majority in parliament, we can expect this to pass ahead of the 31 January deadline, meaning that a no deal exit is avoided at this juncture. However, the government’s commitment to achieving an FTA with the EU by the end of 2020, without an option to extend transition, brings with it another risk of no deal in a year’s time.

The CBI believes the UK can leave the EU with a deal that supports jobs and growth. The government has committed to achieving this aim by the 2020 and the CBI will endeavour to support this goal – but speed must not compromise quality. The economy cannot afford another no deal cliff edge in December 2020 and needs a deep and ambitious deal that protects the UK services and secures the necessary regulatory cooperation for the industries that need it. A renewed spirit of partnership between government and business will be central to this.

The CBI is already reaching out to the new government, starting with a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Friday setting out key CBI priorities for this renewed partnership. We’ve also been laying the groundwork with civil servants during the electoral period, having held meetings with leading Permanent Secretaries, including Sir Mark Sedwill, at our annual Sunningdale roundtable. As ministers are appointed and priorities for the new government emerge, we will continue to ensure that business has a seat at the table - using the insight, evidence and expertise you provide as members to shape inform the CBI’s messages to government.

Dates for your diary

Chinese New Year Dinner - London, 27 January

Join 200 senior industry peers to cement your important international relationships and broaden your opportunities for a prosperous 2020. Gain insights from prominent business and political speakers on the current and future Sino / UK trade relationship.

Recent engagement

  • CBI Director-General, Carolyn Fairbairn, was busy throughout the day on Friday speaking to the media. She started early on in the morning with the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, and could then be spotted on both the BBC and Sky News throughout the afternoon
  • John Foster, CBI Director of Campaigns, also spoke to Politico on what the results mean for business and Brexit
  • Sean McGuire, CBI Brussels Director, attended BusinessEurope's Council of Presidents meeting in Croatia on 6 December.