Where’s the waiter? This is a question many in London are asking right now. In cafes, hotels and restaurants. The reason for this is not the pandemic, as might be assumed at first. But Brexit, or Britain’s departure from the EU. A large part of the working population, who previously came from Italy, Spain and Greece, is staying away – because the borders are closed to migrants.
As the “New York Times” writes, countless bars in the UK have had to reduce their opening hours. Some even have to close a few days a week, others are forced to close completely. An estimated 11 percent of jobs in the hospitality industry are vacant. This is shown by a recent study. In comparison, from a macroeconomic point of view, the average is four percent.
The long-awaited money does not come
Particularly precarious: The Christmas season is the busiest in the industry and usually sees a lot of money flowing into the till. But because that is not the case this year, more than a third of catering establishments are at risk of going bankrupt early next year, according to another study.
On top of that. There is also a shortage of doctors due to Brexit. As The Guardian reports, according to think tank Nuffield Trust, there are currently more than 4,000 fewer European doctors working in the UK healthcare system than predicted before Brexit. This calculation also includes doctors from Switzerland.
High import costs cause problems
Even the trade agreement with Brussels is, of course, useless. This has emerged from an investigation by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The companies were unable to expand or increase sales. The vast majority of the companies surveyed also indicate that they are faced with higher import costs.
At the same time, strikes continue in Britain due to the rising cost of living. Railway workers, postmen and nursing staff take to the streets and lay down their jobs. They all demand higher wages – the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (42) is under enormous pressure.
Sunak is now orienting himself towards Switzerland
It is more than clear that Britain is in a deep economic crisis. Apparently, Sunak is now seeking closer ties with the EU. And he is Swiss-oriented: he should want privileged access to the EU’s internal market, and in return he wants to guarantee his citizens wide freedom of establishment.
However, this goal would be very difficult to achieve. According to “Spiegel”, Brussels should not be eager to set up numerous special contracts again. In addition, Switzerland had to recognize the four freedoms of the EU, which, in addition to the free movement of goods, services and capital, also includes that of persons. The latter in particular was an important motive for Brexit.