20 Mar 2016
The post-BREXIT outlook for manufacturing will depend very much on the replacement trading agreements negotiated with the EU and other nations. Given the very real issues of global and national concern in respect of climate change, resource availability and pollution, and the significant improvements in the UK environment and economy since the 1970s/80s when the UK was known as 'the dirty man of Europe', it is unlikely that the UK jurisdictions would seek to dismantle much of the environmental regulatory framework that has secured so much of these improvements. However, the majority of this has been built during UK membership of the EU and new legislation would be needed in all UK jurisdictions to avoid legal vacuums in environmental law following revocation of the European Communities Act 1972.