Brexit: A business design gap

To date, the UK does not have an agreed and effective design following the referendum outcome. The current proposal offers a compromise strategy, enabled by a staged business design (legal withdrawal and a future intent) with a radically different backup design (no deal) that contestably sidesteps legacy challenges. It remains a challenge to reach an implementable agreement in the current timescale.

A large design gap moving from current to future states increases the potential benefits of transformation but it also makes it much more complex. Since no Brexit option has met the key criteria, some business leaders are making design decisions assuming their worst-case scenario. If the government wants to reassure business leaders that they can make strategic industry decisions, it needs a timely consensus on a UK business design.