The Business Secretary Greg Clark will hold talks with one of the UK’s largest trade membership associations later this week (Friday), to discuss the impact of Brexit.
Mr Clark, who is the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, will visit the Freight Transport Association (FTA) offices and meet the organisation’s Chief Executive, David Wells. The discussions will form part of an event to celebrate FTA’s location in the town for more than forty years.
FTA represents more than 16,000 freight and logistics companies. Its members move goods across the UK and the rest of the world by road, rail and sea, and operate more than 220,000 commercial goods vehicles on the road, more than half of the UK fleet.
The association has been working proactively to highlight the importance of prioritising trade arrangements during the ongoing Brexit negotiations, to ensure that the nation’s businesses can continue to move goods seamlessly across the border. FTA staff have been sharing the organisation’s expertise and wealth of knowledge, briefing politicians and civil servants in the UK and in Brussels. FTA has also produced a ten-point plan, “Ten Ways to Make Customs Borders Work after Brexit”, which outlines practical, achievable measures that would help to ensure that frictionless trade is maintained after the UK leaves the European Union.
Freight Transport Association Deputy Chief Executive, James Hookham, says FTA is delighted to be welcoming the Business Secretary to its headquarters:
“The Freight Transport Association is very proud to be hosting a visit by Greg Clark. He will be planting a tree in our grounds to celebrate the association’s presence in Tunbridge Wells for more than forty years. FTA is a key employer in Mr Clark’s constituency – we’re one of the town’s largest private businesses, with more than 140 people based at our headquarters in the town. Our work is at the heart of a successful UK economy, so this is a great opportunity to talk to him about the issues affecting our members and the ways in which we are working to ensure that the UK remains a leader in logistics at a global level.”
For more information about the work of the Freight Transport Association, please visit www.fta.co.uk, where vacancies within the business can also be found.
Notes for editors
Journalists are invited to attend Greg Clark’s visit. To book a place please email the press office: [email protected] or call 01892 552255.
A copy of the FTA report “Ten Ways to Make Customs Borders Work after Brexit” is available at; www.fta.co.uk/policy_and_compliance/brexit/
Follow FTA on Twitter @newsfromfta and find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.
The Freight Transport Association is the UK’s largest and most influential membership association in the freight and logistics sector, with more than 16,000 members operating over 220,000 lorries – half the UK’s fleet. Established in 1889, FTA’s members move goods by road, rail, sea and air, consign over 90 per cent of the freight moved by rail and 70 per cent of sea and air freight.
