77% of respondents to a shipping survey believe the United Kingdom (UK) should remain in the European Union (EU). Accounting firm Moore Stephens carries out a regular shipping confidence poll, which this edition tacked on an extra question relating to ‘Brexit’.
Overall, 77% of respondents felt the UK should remain in the EU. But whereas 79% of owners and 75% of managers were of that view, in the case of charterers and brokers it was significantly lower – 57% and 38% respectively. 20% of respondents felt that an EU exit would have some negative impact on their business, but 64% said it would have no impact at all. So far as UK respondents alone were concerned, 59% thought the UK should remain in the EU, while 49% thought that leaving the EU would have no impact at all on their business.
Richard Greiner, a partner at Moore Stephens, commented: “If there is one thing certain in the current shipping market, it is the level of uncertainty which is pervading all sectors at the moment. Over the three months covered by our latest survey, that uncertainty has embraced a variety of industry-specific issues, as well as geopolitical factors ranging from the UK referendum on EU membership to the comparative slowdown in the Chinese economy.”
The UK votes on Thursday in a referendum to decide whether or not to stay in the UK. Bloomberg is carrying a useful poll of polls on the likely outcome, accessible here.
Having been at sea for over 40 years, I don’t know a single mariner who supports the remain vote. I hope they have all registered / received / sent in their postal or proxy votes.