(Article originally featued in Design Week)
The UK public has voted for Leave in the EU referendum, with a 52% majority – we summarise what this could spell for the design industry.
By Sarah Dawood June 24, 2016
After 43 years of membership, the UK has voted to leave the EU, with a majority of 52% of the electorate choosing Leave and only 48% backing Remain – a landmark event in the nation’s history.While Remain won in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Leave garnered more of the votes in Wales and the rest of England. The voter turnout was 72%.David Cameron has announced he will step down as prime minister from October, and the sterling has already dropped to its lowest value since 1985.What does all of this spell for the creative industries? Designers and creative leaders have voiced their concerns about how Brexit could negatively impact design businesses – their main reasons being less access to international talent and to exports, loss of collaboration with consultancies abroad, and potential damage to intellectual property and design registration laws.Others have noted that there could be a silver lining, with a possible “reduction in red tape” in regulation for businesses, and also more flexibility over grants and loans due to less restriction on state aid.Here’s a summary of what creative business leaders think will be the main consequences of Brexit:
Less free movement could stifle the industry
The European single market allows the free movement of goods, money and services (including workers) across countries in Europe. But in order to qualify for this, payments need to continue to be made into the EU budget, and EU rules need to be accepted, according to the BBC.Designers worry that the UK will have less access to this free market now we’re out of the EU, and therefore will lose out on receiving exports from European countries, which currently generate more than £10 billion a year for the creative industries, according to Creative Industries Federation chief executive John Kampfner.It could also result in less creative talent, he adds. “This could prove a huge issue for the continued growth and success of the design sector – particularly when the Migration Advisory Committee has placed a number of design roles on the UK’s skills shortage list.”
It could damage the industry’s reputation as inclusive
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