Over two thirds of UK tech employees have said that Brexit would have a negative impact upon the technology industry, a new survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by Juniper Research, has found that 65% of those working in the technology sector believe that Brexit will have poor implications on the UK and global tech industries, with it making it harder for companies to attract and employ staff from EU countries, along with making it more difficult for UK tech firms to secure funding and leading to London becoming a less attractive option as a tech hub.
On the other hand, the 35% of individuals surveyed who believed that the UK tech industry would not be harmed cited the global nature of the tech industry, saying that it would remain unaffected by geographical and political boundaries. 80% of those individuals also believed that the removal of EU red tape would be beneficial to the tech sector.
Juniper’s Head of Forecasting & Consultancy Dr Windsor Holden spoke out about the upcoming EU referendum, saying that the “emotive issue of immigration” frequently touched upon by the Vote Leave campaign contrasted unfavorably to “the combination of financial and economic issues which concern those wary of Brexit”, adding that these issues “cannot as easily be encapsulated and communicated and therefore present a real challenge to those seeking to engage with the public.”
As is imaginable, those survey stated that immigration was deemed the largest issue in the referendum, with 38% of respondents placing it at the top of their list, ahead of the economy which sat at 28%. Satirist John Oliver delivered a searing breakdown of the Brexit campaign and the propaganda spouted by those in the Vote Leave campaign, including a look at the subject of immigration, in a segment on his Last Week Tonight show. The video went viral across the weekend, as many in the UK grow increasingly fearful that the nation will decide to exit the EU come the referendum. Voting is set to take place on June 23rd.
Image Credit: Paul Bradbury / Getty Images
[Via Juniper Research]
