Business leaders and academics in Dundee have warned of the impact on jobs and the economy of a no deal Brexit.
Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, Dundee and Angus College, the city’s two universities and the James Hutton Institute have all given their views, while local politicians have urged the UK Government to respond to growing concerns.
The notes of caution were sounded at the latest in a series of briefings to a cross-party council working group set up to fully understand the implications of leaving the EU.
Councillor Will Dawson chairs the Political Cross-Party Working Group and is also Dundee City Council’s spokesperson on Europe.
He said: “It is clear from these discussions that there are very real fears within our region on what this means for jobs, education and families, and this is something that we will be asking both governments to help us get to grips with to offer support where we can to those affected.
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“We are here to work collectively to lobby for the best outcome for our region and where it is at all possible to mitigate the impact on the council and the wider population.”
Topics of concern raised by the Chamber of Commerce included implications for the city of cross-border trade and taxation, the labour market and access to EU funding.
Funding shortfalls, the status of EU students, the future of collaborative research and the implications for staff were raised by all of the academic institutions as key areas of concern in a post-Brexit UK.
Each acknowledged that the road ahead will provide difficult challenges but that high standards in teaching, research, and student experience were key priorities.
In its summary of the “likely major disruptive effect in foreseen and potentially unforeseen ways”, the James Hutton Institute also identifies the challenge of staffing, replacement schemes for subsidy payments, research and the role of expert advice to and from the EU.
Dundee City Council and Angus Council have both unanimously adopted motions in support of the UK remaining in the EU Interreg funding programme post-Brexit, with Fife Council set to discuss the matter at their next full meeting.
The initiative has secured more than £1.1 million of funding for projects in Dundee since 2014.
A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesman said: “We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal. That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved.
“But it is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, including the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal.
“That is why the UK government is publishing a series of specific technical notices to help citizens, businesses and consumers to prepare for March 2019 in the unlikely event of a no-deal scenario.”
