Monday, December 19, 2022
Is Brexit undermining Christmas?
There are plenty of Brexiteers who would fit easily into the role of the Grinch, but far more serious is the impact of our exit from the EU on Christmas markets.
The Independent reports that the number of businesses taking part in the UK’s Christmas markets has slumped by more than a fifth since Brexit, with some of Britain’s biggest cities hit hardest by the decline.
The paper says that local authority figures show that there will be 21 per cent fewer traders at the first post-Covid markets this year, compared with pre-Brexit numbers:
UK capitals saw some of the steepest downturns, with Edinburgh’s flagship Christmas market expected to see around half as many traders this year as before the UK left the EU.
London’s West End reported the largest decline of all those surveyed, collapsing from 247 businesses trading in 2019 to just 119 this year – a decline of 51 per cent.
The internationalist campaign group Best for Britain – which obtained figures from more than 50 councils following freedom of information requests – said it was clear that post-Brexit red tape was a major “deterrent” to seasonal traders coming from EU countries.
Leeds was forced to scrap its “Christkindelmarkt” this year, with organisers citing post-Brexit “costs and complications” affecting traders from Germany as a major factor in the cancellation.
While other factors, including increased energy costs and roadworks, are having an impact, leading market organisers say the industry has been hit hard by post-Brexit bureaucracy. Market Place Europe – which operates Christmas markets around the UK – said post-Brexit “restrictions and requirements” had led many EU traders to pull out.
“Brexit appears to have had a significant impact on the number of EU traders attending the Christmas markets in the UK,” managing director Allan Hartwell told The Independent. “From what I am hearing from other Christmas market operators, there are far fewer EU traders in attendance,” he added. “Leeds market has been cancelled this year, and Southampton almost had a similar fate, as many of the core traders didn’t travel from Germany.”
Mr Hartwell noted that because of arrangements set out in the Northern Ireland protocol, traders from the EU can more easily operate in Belfast than in cities in mainland Britain. Belfast’s Christmas market bucked the wider trend by growing by 15 per cent compared with 2019.
It sounds like if you want to enjoy a fully fledged Christmas market this year, you will need to travel to the EU, as they are surely not coming to us.
The Independent reports that the number of businesses taking part in the UK’s Christmas markets has slumped by more than a fifth since Brexit, with some of Britain’s biggest cities hit hardest by the decline.
The paper says that local authority figures show that there will be 21 per cent fewer traders at the first post-Covid markets this year, compared with pre-Brexit numbers:
UK capitals saw some of the steepest downturns, with Edinburgh’s flagship Christmas market expected to see around half as many traders this year as before the UK left the EU.
London’s West End reported the largest decline of all those surveyed, collapsing from 247 businesses trading in 2019 to just 119 this year – a decline of 51 per cent.
The internationalist campaign group Best for Britain – which obtained figures from more than 50 councils following freedom of information requests – said it was clear that post-Brexit red tape was a major “deterrent” to seasonal traders coming from EU countries.
Leeds was forced to scrap its “Christkindelmarkt” this year, with organisers citing post-Brexit “costs and complications” affecting traders from Germany as a major factor in the cancellation.
While other factors, including increased energy costs and roadworks, are having an impact, leading market organisers say the industry has been hit hard by post-Brexit bureaucracy. Market Place Europe – which operates Christmas markets around the UK – said post-Brexit “restrictions and requirements” had led many EU traders to pull out.
“Brexit appears to have had a significant impact on the number of EU traders attending the Christmas markets in the UK,” managing director Allan Hartwell told The Independent. “From what I am hearing from other Christmas market operators, there are far fewer EU traders in attendance,” he added. “Leeds market has been cancelled this year, and Southampton almost had a similar fate, as many of the core traders didn’t travel from Germany.”
Mr Hartwell noted that because of arrangements set out in the Northern Ireland protocol, traders from the EU can more easily operate in Belfast than in cities in mainland Britain. Belfast’s Christmas market bucked the wider trend by growing by 15 per cent compared with 2019.
It sounds like if you want to enjoy a fully fledged Christmas market this year, you will need to travel to the EU, as they are surely not coming to us.
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"you want to enjoy a fully fledged Christmas market this year, you will need to travel to the EU"
Or maybe even further away?
It's the same story there too.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/nov/20/no-ice-rinks-fewer-lights-christmas-markets-across-europe-scaled-back-as-energy-costs-soar
Peter Martin
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Or maybe even further away?
It's the same story there too.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/nov/20/no-ice-rinks-fewer-lights-christmas-markets-across-europe-scaled-back-as-energy-costs-soar
Peter Martin
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