Spirits Europe: ‘We have to make Brexit work’

The president of trade association Spirits Europe has called for negotiators to “make Brexit work” as the appointment of the new UK prime minister moves closer the triggering of Article 50.

Paul Skehan, director general, Spirits Europe

In an editorial released today, Paul Skehan notes that Prime Minister-in-waiting Theresa May “has made it clear that she will respect the will of the British population with regard to Brexit”.

It is expected that May, who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU, will trigger Article 50, the process set out in the Lisbon Treaty which defines how a country will leave the European Union.

In his piece, Skehan argues that as both the UK and EU economies are so intertwined, what’s good for one will be good for the other.

“In the mid to longer term, both economies will rise and fall together.  The negotiators must therefore look for an outcome on which stronger EU and British economies can be built.”

He however cautions the “thornier” problem of achieving a positive Brexit outcome while deterring other EU member state from following suit.

“I am a member of a football club in Brussels. They do not deter me from leaving by threatening to taser me; instead, they look to improve the quality and breadth of services on offer – to make me want to stay (and perhaps to make others who have left regret their choice),” he writes.

As such, Skehan calls for a “compelling vision” for better prospects for citizens old and now, which is only achievable if all parties “look to make Brexit a success, and make the EU an even bigger success.”

In the immediate aftermath of the UK’s vote to leave the EU on 23 June, Spirits Europe said Brexit will lead to “years of uncertainty” for the industry, not just in the UK and EU but around the world.