Cumbrian businesses are bracing themselves for Brexit as fears are voiced for employment, tourism and imports. 

As Britain marks Brexit Day, key figures in the hospitality, manufacturing and tourism industries, which rely on Europe for staff and supplies, have spoken of the potential impact it might have on business in Cumbria.

While many are undecided on what - if any, difference it will make to their bottom line, and with different political standpoints, it is accepted there will be changes.

James Tasker of Lamplighter Dining Rooms in Windermere, who is also a director of the Lakes Hospitality Association, said the proposed minimum wage cap on European workers could ‘decimate’ the labour force in the Lakes. 

“My largest concern is that of produce that we buy from our suppliers that comes in from Europe especially fruit and veg but have been assured that the suppliers have looked into this and made provision or have looked at alternate sources for various products,” he said.

“The other major issue will be the minimum wages cap on European workers in the UK as the figures that are currently being discussed and even at this late stage not finalised would decimate the labour force in the Lake District.”

“I actually think that if the pound is to recover globally, which one must assume that it will after we have made the jump, then this has the potential to actually be detrimental to the hospitality industry as domestic travel will again look towards Europe for the holiday that they have forgone for the last couple of years and international travellers will get less bang for their buck and may look to more competitively priced European destinations where their currency will go that little bit further.”

Ian Stephens, the former managing director of Cumbria Tourism, now professor of practice at the University of Cumbria, said Brexit ‘may be damaging in the short term’ to employment but he was confident there was opportunity to bring a new potential workforce from other parts of the world.

“There will be other markets in the world, be it South America, North America, Asia and Africa, that there will be an opportunity to bring a new potential workforce to the UK,” he said.

“It may take time, and it may be damaging in the short to medium term, but we will find a new labour force albeit, the sooner the better. 

“I’m optimistic commerce and industry has always found a way to resolve those sorts of problems.”

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce has been supporting businesses in the run-up to Brexit.

“As a result of our campaign, we’re confident that Cumbrian businesses are better prepared and that will stand them in good stead when the transition period ends in December,” chief executive Rob Johnston said. 

“In terms of positives from Brexit, the fall in the pound since the referendum in 2016 has benefited some sectors while hurting others. It’s bad news if you import, good if you export.

“The tourism sector has certainly benefited. The weaker pound makes it cheaper for overseas visitors to come here while making it more expensive for Brits to go abroad. That encourages staycations.”

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said the current wage cap proposals would ‘serve as a wrecking ball’ to the Lakes. 

“Cumbria’s hospitality and tourism industry is absolutely vital to our local economy, and it won’t be news to anyone about how reliant it is on overseas workers,” he said.

“Unfortunately, as the Government looks to set a new immigration policy as we leave the European Union, the early signs are not positive.

“The current plans for a £30,000 salary floor for overseas workers to be able to work here, would serve as a wrecking ball to the hospitality sector here in the Lake District.

“Of course we want to see more people who were brought up locally working in the Lakes - but with more than 20,000 non-UK staff working in the Lake District hospitality industry and only around 500 people unemployed in the South Lakes, the maths simply does not add up.

“Last year I held a summit with hospitality leaders in Cumbria where there was huge concerns about the Government’s post-Brexit immigration proposals, including from one hotelier as around 70 per cent of his current staff are from the EU.

“We then met with the then immigration minister Caroline Nokes in Westminster to make our concerns clear. Though Mrs Nokes was very receptive to our case, she is sadly no longer the immigration minister.

“We will now be taking our case to the business minister in the coming weeks. Everyone from Cumbria Tourism to hotel owners to the workers themselves are clear: these plans would cause severe damage to Cumbria’s economy.

“The Government need to take their fingers out of their ears, get in the real world and start working far more pro-actively with hospitality leaders to try and find a solution which does not end up throwing the Lake District tourism sector under a bus.”

Barry Leahey MBE, chair of the Cumbria branch of the Institute of Directors and managing director of Playdale Playgrounds in Haverthwaite, is confident he is fully prepared for any fallout. 

“We have reviewed contracts with global distributors, analysed our supply chain and put contingency in, checked worst case tariffs and planned for it, Intellectual Property... the list goes on,” he said.