Brexit Update from Goodwille – January 2019

The last few weeks have been eventful and no doubt by the time we have completed writing this update something else will have happened. Either way, we thought this was a good time to provide an update after all the events last week and highlight any actions that you can do right now, while Parliament works out what kind of deal can get passed through.

What happened in the hast 10 days

• May’s Withdrawal Agreement defeated emphatically, with the Irish Backstop being the main culprit
• May survived a no-confidence motion to remain PM
• A faction of Parliament moving to block a No-Deal in March
• May’s Plan B was very much a repeat of her Plan A
• May announced that EU nationals will not have to pay for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) / will not have to pay to obtain “Settled” or “Pre-Settled Status”
• The Government is now working to see what can get through parliament

What some import/export businesses have been doing preparing for possibility of No-Deal

1. Stockpiling 6 months’ worth of goods
2. Acting on HMRC Guidance, by applying for a UK EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number. Please get in touch with us if you would like help with this.
3. Contacting the organisation that moves your goods to ensure they have all the information they need for your products.

We are also looking into the best way to ensure import/export declarations will be done for you in the event of No-Deal Brexit.

What steps have we taken for Goodwille EU National staff

With many of our staff being EU nationals, we want to do our utmost to support them and inform them on their rights and status in the UK post-Brexit. Following our guidance we have:

• Conducted a review of staff whose status will be affected post-Brexit.
• Worked with immigration expert partners to keep staff updated on Brexit and relevant changes.
• Made a commitment to support them through the process.

As we know that many of our clients employ EU Nationals, we have created a diagram which shows the different options available for securing their status in the UK post-Brexit. Access our diagram here to read more about the EUSS and EU residence rights in the UK after Brexit.

What we have been reading

• “A dangerous political void” by Chris Grey, published on The Brexit Blog on Friday 18^th January 2019
• “England’s rebel spirit is rising – and it wants a No-Deal Brexit” by John Harris, published in the Guardian on Monday 21^st January 2019

All corners of Parliament are now working to see what kind of deal could be agreed on, including promoting their own deals contrary to parliamentary precedence of only the Government presenting legislation. Patience is wearing thin on both sides of the English Channel, and Theresa May’s Government still unwilling to budge on it’s “red lines”, coupled with a large faction of MP’s seeking to avoid a No-Deal Brexit. There is a lot still to be achieved in the next 65 days and still not much detail on what a No-Deal looks like for UK businesses. We shall continue to keep you updated on key events.

We will continue to monitor the progress of the Brexit discussions, and will regularly send out updates via email and update our website with any recent news. Subscribe to our Brexit Newsletter to receive our updates directly to your inbox, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions on how Brexit will impact your business.

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This update is for general guidance only. Specific legal advice should be obtained in all cases. This material is the copyright of Goodwille Limited (unless otherwise stipulated) and is not to be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent.