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Head of Content, IFSEC and FIREX

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Charlotte Geoghegan is Head of Content for the Protection & Management portfolio, which includes IFSEC and FIREX live events and IFSEC Insider.
June 1, 2016

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In or Out? 12 Fire and Security Professionals on Brexit

With the EU Referendum fast approaching, we asked 12 security and fire professionals to tell us what they think about the vote.

A more in-depth debate on the impact of the EU Referendum on security and fire will follow at IFSEC International 2016. The panel debate is scheduled for 23rd June, the day the country takes to the polls, and speakers include CEO of FIA, CEO of BSIA, CEO of ASFP, Managing Director of BRE Global, President of Euralarm and Executive Director of EFSN. Register here

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“I will be voting remain”

Alan Brinson, Executive Director, EFSNAlan Brinson

I will be voting to remain. Every country is part of a continent and ours is Europe. Our neighbours share many of our values; they are and will remain our most important trading partners and tourist destinations. For me membership of the EU is more than a transactional relationship: it is the club set up by our friends to help us all work together and we should be a part of it.

That said at IFSEC we will debate the transactional benefits. If we vote to leave and David Cameron starts the process on 24th June it is inexorable: two years later we will be out, almost certainly without an agreement on future cooperation with the other 27 countries. No Polish PM could agree to a block on his citizens living and working in the UK, yet that is what Brexit voters want. We will fall back on the WTO arrangements, with new tariffs on some products and customs delays, possibly politically motivated. Technical standards are one area where we probably could reach agreement: membership of CEN is not conditional on EU membership and Turkey is a CEN member. Of course we could choose to leave CEN/CENELEC, introduce national standards to create import barriers and force our exporters to carry duplicate stock. But does anyone really want that?

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“The UK’s Security industry will not be adversely affected by a vote to leave”

Lee Clayton, Security & Risk Consultant, Convergent Risk Group Limited Lee Clayton

Brexit is a chance to thrive and grow outside of the protectionist, anti-democratic bureaucracy that is the European Union. I don’t believe the UK’s Security industry, which is global in reach, will be in adversely affected by a vote to leave the EU.

Please note, this is my personal opinion and not that of any organisation I am associated with.

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“Brexit would actually enhance the focus on the security industry”

Shaun Murphy, Head of Security, Clipfine Group Shaun Murphy

I feel that Brexit would actually enhance the focus on the security industry as the UK would need stronger resources for its borders and therefore some of this will be contracted out as we do in the prison service and other governmental services.

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“There are leading people from similar backgrounds and positions with totally opposite views”

Ian Yexley, CEO, UniTrust Protection Services (UK) Limited Ian Yexley

How Brexit would affect the UK security industry is an incredibly tough question with a million answers and it will never be established what would have happened if the results and outcome had been reversed. There will forever be speculation and the ‘what if’ debates and discussions and there are leading people from similar backgrounds and positions with totally opposite views on the pros and cons of staying or leaving.

I have spoken with many people in recent weeks who had strong view one way and then changed because of various issues that have been reported in the media. Ultimately a Brexit would probably be affected by industry and stability in commerce generally, I do not personally believe that there would be a major impact in the short term. More importantly is the long term and should we be seen as isolated from Europe the home private security industry could flourish by working more closely and in partnership with the police and government agencies.

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“Brexit may cause the mainly European KNX manufacturers to stall slightly”

Iain Gordon, Managing Director, GES Digital Ltd, President of the Board, KNX Iain Gordon

Brexit may cause the mainly European KNX manufacturers to stall slightly on their export business to the UK. It may also affect discount structures and import duties payable. The time line for this change is unknown and the basis for this prediction is purely speculative.

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“It would be a set-back for the old continent if the UK would decides to leave the EU”

Enzo Peduzzi, President, Euralarm Enzo Peduzzi

Being an Italian citizen living in Switzerland I very much feel and think European and I am a strong supporter of the original idea of the European Union. Therefore allow me to express some personal thoughts. Unfortunately I have to admit that in the last few years I am disappointed with what has happened in the EU. The visionary spirit of the former generation of leaders seems to be gone. Today everybody is looking for his own advantage without being prepared to give something in return to the European community. The support for the EU is shrinking in many parts of Europe. In these difficult times we tend to forget the great benefit that the EU has brought to us all since it was founded in 1992 and what it can bring also in future if we are ready to work together! We should remember that even the strongest countries in Europe are small against the global actors like the Americas and Asia and we should recognize that the competition and areas of economic growth, also for the safety and security industry, are not in Europe but outside of our continent.

I believe it is dangerous for Europe in total, not only for the 28 countries being part of the EU, if instead of tackling the difficulties the EU faces today in a joint effort, we use these as an excuse to quit.

I am far from telling our British friends what to vote on June 23rd but I personally I think it would be a set-back for the old continent if the UK would decides to leave the EU. The humorous dictum: “Fog in the Channel – Europe is cut off” would suddenly have a serious significance!

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What would Brexit mean to the security and fire industries?

A panel debate about the implications of the EU Referendum will take place at IFSEC International 2016 on 23rd June. Register here

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“A flabby Union of countries have only served to stifle our true potential”

Paul Williamson, Operations Director, Croma Vigilant Security Paul Williams

We should trust in the genius of the people in this country and brand Britain, rather than being dependent on a flabby Union of countries that have only served to stifle our true potential as a nation.

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“The EU hampers development of cyber security policy”

Anonymous Cyber Security Professional Avatar

I am presently employed in cyber threat intelligence, but throughout my career I have worked across a wide range of the other intelligence disciplines. I think the EU hampers development of cyber security policy at national levels, as those with responsibility fo cyber security policy across the EU worry that any regulations they work to bring in will be superseded by EU ones, which are likely to be time consuming, poorly thought out and add another expensive tier of compliance and administration). There is no “one size fits all” in this area across the EU and the behind the scenes power struggles in Brussels also hamper any real, timely or effective response.

Read more about my thoughts on the matter in my article How the EU Hinders Cyber Security Policy

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“The impact of Brexit on the smart homes industry will depend on the consequences of that exit”

Michael Philpott, Principle Analyst, Ovum Michael Philpott

I guess the impact of Brexit on the smart homes industry will depend on the consequences of that exit. There is a definite link between people feeling safe in their homes and how much they are willing to spend on home security products, so any political decision that makes people feel more safe or less safe will have some sort of impact on the market in one way or another.

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“The security industry and the UK will not only survive leaving the EU, but will thrive”

Christopher Cully, Managing Director, Dilitas Ltd Christopher Cully

With regard to Brexit and the security industry. I have absolutely no doubt that both the security industry and the UK will not only survive leaving the EU, but will thrive; once the initial disruption of this transition has been completed.

Whilst some academics have forewarned of problems and loss of business for the security industry should the UK depart the EU, I do not see this happening.

With regard to companies that produce physical products and hardware, clearly it will be a testing time for them.  However, if their products and management systems are equal to the task, they will survive and trade successfully with any country in the world that wants their products.

For those of us in the operational sector of the security industry, we always have and always will continue to operate across the globe, and Brexit will have no restriction nor compromise on the high quality services and personnel the UK provides.

Why do academics warn of impending doom?  For the simple reason they neither have “hands-on nor commercial experience within the operational sector of the security industry.  This accounts for their often-skewed view of the specific area of the UK security industry.

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“The positive impact that EU regulations have had on the security industry should be recognised”

Dr Alison Wakefield, Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth Alison Wakefield

The positive impact that EU regulations have had on the security industry should be recognised. In a recent article by my University of Portsmouth colleagues Professor Mark Button and Peter Stiernstedt on the consequences of a Brexit for the manned guarding industry, the authors explore a number of possible outcomes.

Arguably their most compelling arguments relate to the variety of regulations that have come from the EU and impacted positively on the security sector: the working time directive (hours worked and paid holidays), equal pay, maternity rights, TUPE protections, health and safety, public procurement and employees’ rights to information and consultation.

As the authors recognise, clearly they would not all disappear in the event of a Brexit, but many would become viable targets for the Conservative right wing that would be likely to be leading our government in the medium term.

Read Dr Alison Wakefield’s full article, Brexit is Bad News for the Security industry here

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Implications of Brexit will be the focus of a panel discussion taking place at IFSEC International 2016. Speakers on the panel include CEO of FIA, CEO of BSIA, CEO of ASFP, Managing Director of BRE Global, President of Euralarm and Executive Director of EFSN. The panel will take place at 13.20 on 23rd June, the day of the EU Referendum. Register here

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