Packaging Professionals Have Their Say on EU Referendum

The EU referendum is a hot topic for business owners and leaders across all industry sectors in the UK right now, and the packaging sector is no exception. That is why a survey was conducted to poll opinion on whether Britain should remain in the EU or leave. But what were the results?

The answer is that the survey by recruitment firm Harrison Scott in Packaging News found that most clients and candidates within the world of packaging would prefer for Britain to stay in the European Union – although the margin was quite narrow.

The survey found that just over half (56 per cent) of the respondents wanted the UK to continue being a part of the EU, with the remaining 44 per cent stating that they supported the Brexit idea.

The support for remaining in the union was consistent across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, although there were a few deviations, most notably in Wales. Here, 52 per of staff working in sales and 51 per cent of business managers said they would vote to get out of the EU, but 57 per cent of technicians and 63 per cent of managing directors in Wales said they would prefer to stay put.

The English totals revealed that 51 per cent of managers said they wanted to get out of the EU, but it was a different story amongst other professionals. No less than 64 per cent of technicians said they wanted to remain in the EU, as well as 54 per cent of sales staff and 53 per cent of managing directors.

Harrison Scott Associate’s joint managing director, George Thompson, said that the number of respondents who chose to take part in the survey indicated the level of passion surrounding the subject of Britain’s position in or out of the European Union. He added that this was not a surprise given the ‘significant effect’ the outcome could have on the industry.

Mr Thompson said that packaging professionals from around the UK were offered the chance to say if they wanted to stay in or get out, as well as being given the opportunity to give the reasons behind their decisions. He said that the company had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the number of people who wanted to share their thoughts and justify their opinions.

Many people argued that leaving the EU would reduce bureaucracy and increase competitiveness. Others, however, said that a Brexit would require the renegotiation of trading terms, causing uncertainty and increasing red tape.