Well, what a couple of weeks the UK has had, and this is quite an understatement. Very few of us have been able to escape the various opinions and summations about our future in the press recently following the EU referendum, and I want to assure you all that the IGA are here to listen to your concerns and raise the questions to government that need answering. We will be the voice of support for the independent sector through these turbulent times and, as always, we will negotiate on behalf of the sector to ensure that independent garages operate in a positive environment.

Prior to the campaign we surveyed IGA members asking for a straight “in or out” vote and 76% wanted to leave the EU, which in many ways mirrors the view of other small businesses in other sectors. We know there are challenges ahead but believe in the longer term it will work out well for UK businesses and may provide new opportunities.

We have put together a legal paper on where independent garages stand following the news, which you can find in the bulletin below. In terms of legislation, any regulations that were passed before our final exit will remain in place, and regular updates will be communicated on any issues as they arise going forward.

On another note, we are in the process of contacting DfT to see if the 4-year MOT consultation is still going ahead in July as it has gone quiet, and hopefully the new PM will regard road safety more favourably.

In relation to the SERMI security standard, this is still moving forward and it has now been released to UKAS in the UK. We are meeting with them soon to progress our application to certify against it and will keep you updated on progress.

We will keep you informed with any developments that could affect your business and communicate with you every step of the way. Please continue to let us know your thoughts; this gives us, as your trade association, the best chance to lobby on your behalf.

If you need us, please don’t hesitate to call on 0845 305 4230.