A SURVEY highlighting the biggest issues with business in Britain after lockdown and Brexit has been published by the Association of Practising Accountants - of which Carlisle firm Armstrong Watson are apart.

The survey suggested that more than 60 per cent of owner-managed businesses across the north of England said uncertain trading conditions pose the biggest single challenge coming out of the third lockdown .

On top of this 15% reported a negative impact on their business as a result of Britain leaving the EU, with 14% sighting Brexit supply chain issues as the biggest problem with their business.Commenting on the findings, Paul Dickson, CEO and Managing Partner of APA Member firm Armstrong Watson, said: “This research shows that 14% of owner-managed businesses who have managed to pull through the pandemic are still in survival mode. There is, however, evidence to suggest that those businesses are now more resilient.

“As the country continues on the roadmap out of lockdown, it is still a testing time for some business owners throughout our regions and across a variety of sectors. Added to this is the impact of Brexit which is highlighted in these results, with almost a quarter suffering as a result."