Rolls-Royce boss warns against hard Brexit

Warren East

The boss of Derby-based manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce has called on the government’s negotiating team to minimise the impact on business when hammering out a Brexit deal.

In an interview with the BBC, Warren East said that the firm wants to continue to be able to move both its staff at its engine products between the UK and EU countries.

Speaking to the BBC at the Paris Air Show, East said: “”The aerospace industry is very interconnected and there are other parts of it that operate across the boundaries between the UK and the EU. All those other companies will have the same issues that we do.”

East warned that leaving the EU would mean the UK no longer being part of the European Aviation Safety Agency, which regulates the industry and certifies aviation products, and that this would be a “major problem” for Rolls-Royce.”

However, he said it could be possible for the UK to become an associate member of the agency in the same way as Switzerland or Norway.

Last month, East told Rolls-Royce’s AGM that the company was on track to achieve its target of around £200m in savings, after it has endured a torrid few years.

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