UNTHA UK’s Marcus Brew is no stranger to media coverage. But Sunday marked the first time the newly-promoted MD has ever appeared on TV!
Marcus travelled to the BBC’s Media City in Salford to be interviewed live on the Breakfast Show. He joined presenters Naga Munchetty and Ben Thompson on the famous red sofas, and joined in a lively debate about the controversial ‘Brexit’.
The appearance followed Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement that, on June 23rd, a pivotal vote will take place to decide the UK’s future within Europe. In a ‘should we stay or should we go’ discussion, Marcus passionately aired his view – that the UK must remain an EU member.
His opinion was counter-argued by ANS Group CEO Scott Fletcher MBE, who, like the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, is backing the exit campaign.
The conversation therefore made for a very interesting and vocal few minutes of live television, which continued on the BBC News Sky Channel 503 an hour later.
Admitting that there is no certainty as to how everything will pan out, Marcus commented: “As MD of a business with a European parent company, I strongly believe we should maintain our EU position. I am understandably keen to protect the jobs we’ve worked hard to provide and the successful trade of goods and services in Europe.
“But my ‘stay’ vote reflects a desire to protect the wider robustness of the British economy. I’ve read about the risk to GDP, which could represent a loss of billions, for example. And I’m not comfortable with what the future could hold if the UK was to go it alone.
“I think we should maintain our focus and make the most of the desire for positive change that some of our neighbouring member states have also expressed.”
When considering the likely impact of an exit on the waste and recycling industry, Marcus continued: “It’s perhaps unsurprising that I’ve read pros and cons for both camps. The consensus seems to be that we wouldn’t experience much of an impact if we were to leave. But I do believe EU Directives have given the UK the impetus to work towards a more sustainable future, and I worry that environmental commitments will be shelved if we’re no longer driven by international targets.”
Scott Fletcher disagreed with Marcus throughout the programme, stressing now is the time to leave and create a level playing field. But the UNTHA boss feared an exit wouldn’t actually represent a better deal for Britain.
“I think what we need to concentrate on now, is putting the time and effort in to listen to the arguments being posed throughout the coming weeks. Everyone should vote, but individual decisions should not be made lightly. The matter requires careful consideration, and people should not be swayed by PR stunts or biased headlines.
“At UNTHA UK, we’ll use the next four months to put time and effort into planning for the future, whatever it may hold.”