No-deal Brexit would hit former 'red wall' areas hard and prove 'fatal' to British manufacturers, firms warn

Former Labour "red wall' constituencies that turned Tory in the 2019 election will be some of areas hardest hit by a no-deal Brexit, manufacturers have warned.

Make UK, the manufacturers organisation have issued the stark warning with only six months before the transition period ends.

They have warned that leaving without a deal - while the economy is still being impacted by Covid-19 — could prove "fatal" for the UK's manufacturers.

The organisation has also called for help from the government for the nation's manufacturers.

Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, said: “Should the UK fail to reach a comprehensive trade agreement with the EU then those regions with a high concentration of manufacturing and a dependence on Europe as a major market will suffer a triple hit given the impact of Covid-19. For some companies the combination may prove fatal.”

He added: “We are now at a tipping point in how we build a recovery and a post-Covid economy. If that means tearing up the rule book on adopting a new approach to policy then so be it, nothing should be off the table.”

This follows on from red-wall polling reported in The Spectator that shows that the area is overwhelmingly opposed to a no-deal Brexit.

Best for Britain focused on 44 constituencies which the Conservatives won in 2019 from Labour in the North and Midlands.

Their researchers asked: "The Conservative campaign manifesto said that the Government would pursue "a new free trade agreement with the EU [and that] this will be a new relationship based on free trade and friendly cooperation”. How important is it that the Government keeps this promise?"

Some 88.9 per cent of those living in red wall constituencies thought the government keeping its promise to get a trade deal is either very important (55 per cent) or important (33.9 per cent)

Of those respondents who were Tory voters, 90.8 per cent thought the government keeping its promise to get a trade deal is either very important (54.8 per cent) or important (36 per cent)

Surprisingly even 88.6 per cent of leave voters said they thought government keeping promise to get a trade deal is either very important (51.7 per cent) or important (36.5 per cent)

While 91.5 per cent of Red wall switchers from Labour to the Tory party thought the government keeping promise to get a trade deal is either very important (57.2 per cent) or important (34.2 per cent)