The topic at the moment of course is Brexit, says MRBA Chairman Ian Brace. Now that we are heading to leave the EU the MRBA must think about how that might affect the research industry and what impact that might have on people who work or have worked in market research. The main concern is whether Brexit will lead to a recession. That would occur prior to the UK actually leaving the EU because of uncertainty about what lies ahead, or it could arise after our exit if we don’t get the appropriate trade terms. At the moment the forecasts seem to be for a decrease in GDP but not necessarily a recession in the period leading up to exit, but there can be no certainty as to what happens after that. The last time we had a serious recession in 2009 we saw the number of cases coming to MRBA double in a year, and they stayed at that level for a couple of years. That was a global recession and we don’t expect anything of that severity this time. Indeed, we Brexit will mean greater prosperity for the UK, but the MRBA must be prepared in case of an increase in demand on our services and our resources over the next two to three years.
That is why we must keep fundraising and ensure we have the liquidity to respond to demand. Which is why I would like to use this column to thank BIG Conference for their raffle held in support of MRBA at which they raised £410; the organisers of MRS Golf Day for raising £540 so far; as well as the ICG Membership for its donation of £722. Together with the ongoing support we receive from our Corporate Patrons and Friends, these are the sorts of activities which we can all take part in and which enable us to meet the demand.
