DAVID WATT

I have never understood why politicians won’t tell us the truth.

Currently, every responsible business person and respected economist, in the UK and beyond, believes that a no deal Brexit would be disastrous. Yet, our politicians in Westminster seem unable to put their differences aside in order to prevent it.

We have a Prime Minister who is fully aware of the damage that a no deal Brexit would cause, but is not prepared to take it off the table; yet we do not know why. At the same time, we have an opposition leader who has danced around so many issues that even his own MP’s are giving up and are abandoning the party.

This is not leadership.

A true leader sets out their vision and strategy of how to achieve it, ensuring everyone is on the same path. They do not cater for factions, instead they drive vision and unity. In our current position, when we face a potential national crisis, the focus must be on cross-party discussions and action. Our economy is facing unparalleled challenges; differences must be set aside in order to find a solution.

The vote to stay or leave the European Union was an advisory referendum with no clear tactics outlined. Yes, we ultimately voted to leave, however it seems that the campaign was based on perception and deception. We are at the very edge of the cliff, and we need our elected representatives to step up as leaders and be honest in order to save us all from going over the edge; they cannot deliver what was voted for so must consider the alternatives.

I implore our leaders to show us that their primary aim is not just to win back their seat at the next election, but to guide us through inevitable difficulties we are facing.

Despite an outcry from public figures voicing their personal opinions, perhaps some business leaders haven’t been as forthcoming as they could have been regarding the consequences of a no deal Brexit. I have some sympathy for this, as it seems that as soon as an organisation takes public steps to prepare, there is widespread media coverage and public uproar. This has happened time and time again to Jaguar Land Rover and Airbus bosses, so it is understandable that many business leaders have been reluctant to step forward.

Dogmatic politics have created a culture where we no longer heed the advice of the wealth creators; in fact we are also disregarding the opinions of the experts purely because they disagree with us.

There appears to be little realistic chance of a deal being agreed and the necessary legislation getting through by 29 March. Businesses do not want to drag out the uncertainty and would much prefer to reach a deal by the end of the month. However, it now seems hard to envisage an exit without a limited, technical extension to allow time for parliament to finalise our exit.

There is too much at stake to run down the clock and risk an accidental no deal. The Prime Minister must make absolutely clear ahead of time what the Government's next steps will be if the vote on March 13 fails again. Businesses have lost all faith in the political process and as those first in the firing line of no-deal, they deserve to know more.

We are facing a bleak economic future; we do not know how long that will last (or what it will ultimately look like), but we have recovered from economic crises in the past. What is more concerning to me is the void in leadership our politicians are showing. I fear it may take even longer to recover from that.

David Watt is executive director of the Institute of Directors in Scotland.