Well, for an exercise that was meant to establish clarity the outcome is about as clear as mud.
Following the general election we have ended up with a hung Parliament and further wrangling surrounding the start of the Brexit negotiations with the European Union.
In hindsight for the Government, triggering Article 50 before calling the election must seem like an almighty mistake. One can argue about the merits of the decision to go to the polls, but it is fair to say prime minister Theresa May did not get the result she expected and the move backfired badly on the Government while also undermining the PM’s own position.
But if the result leads to a softer Brexit, which is now being lobbied for by Government and opposition MPs as well as industry leaders, it could yet benefit the UK automotive industry’s trade within its biggest market, the EU. There are even calls for the single market to be put back on the agenda, which is what the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders campaigned for before the referendum, but which the Government subsequently ruled out.
However, with signs the economic uncertainty is causing LCV operators to get the jitters when it comes to buying new vans, what is needed above all now is that elusive clarity.
