UK still an attractive place to invest despite Brexit uncertainty, report finds
The UK has retained its position as one of the world’s leading hubs for business, according to a new report which suggest investors have taken a ‘wait-and-see’ approach towards Brexit.
In a comprehensive global index released this morning, the UK was ranked as one of the best global hubs for business, scoring highly for its low start-up costs and attractiveness for foreign investment.
Business advisory group Eight Advisory, which produced the report, suggested the long-term cost of Brexit has yet to emerge across a wide range of economic and wellbeing indicators.
“While Brexit creates considerable uncertainty the foundations of the UK’s economy are particularly strong, and it remains an attractive place to invest and do business,” said Alexis Karklins-Marchay, a partner at Eight Advisory and prominent figure within the French business community.
He told City PM: “Confidence has plummeted in the last 3 years, but Britain should have confidence in its own ability. This is one of the most competitive countries.”
Despite scoring highly in areas such as human freedom, higher education and happiness levels, the UK’s productivity was found to be “an ongoing and long-running concern”.
Eight Advisory also said that Brexit was proving a “distraction from the issues facing the UK economy”, such as productivity and standards of primary education.
The report comes weeks after consultancy Z/Yen showed that London has clung onto its second place in a ranking of the world’s top financial centres, but its position in the top tier is under threat amid Brexit chaos and other geopolitical shifts.
“There are fundamental issues that need to be addressed if the UK’s hard-earned reputation as an international leader is to be protected in the long term,” Karklins-Marchay added.