Translators and Brexit

Like many translation companies and language service providers, we make use of the many talents of our European linguists, and indeed we have employed, and do employ, overseas linguists in our company.

We are not the only sector of the economy currently concerned as to what will happen post-Brexit, and as the negotiations proceed over the next two years, we wonder whether our concerns will be taken into account. As this blog has pointed out several times, we may not be the biggest industry in the UK economy but the work Anglia, and all other translation companies carry out in helping companies to export, is invaluable.

So it was good to see, in the Observer (July30) the translation sector being stoutly defended by the chairman of our trade body, the Association of Translation Companies (ATC), Roy Alkin, highlighting the problems facing translation companies who wish to employ nationals from the EU. Will they still be allowed entry into the UK without undue bureaucratic form-filling proving they are gainfully employed? More to the point, will these valued linguists even want to work in the UK where they may feel they are unwanted?

With the cabinet in disarray, seemingly more concerned with jockeying for position post-May, or even worse, fighting amongst themselves as to what type of Brexit they want, the omens are not good.

Who is concerned with the interests of the economy, particularly our modest but important translation sector, who even thinks about the national interest? With the captain of the national ship all at sea, and the crew squabbling amongst themselves, we could be facing two years of a government of chaos.