倫敦金融城擔心英國硬退歐

Senior financiers are alarmed at growing political momentum behind a so-called hard Brexit that they fear will erode business confidence, trigger corporate departures and damage the City of London.

高級金融家對所謂的英國硬退歐背後的政治勢頭日益增長感到震驚，他們擔心，那將侵蝕企業信心，引發企業撤出英國，損害倫敦金融城。

Leading bankers who have held talks with government ministers have told the Financial Times they believe Theresa May, the prime minister, will end up taking Britain out of the EU’s single market and customs union.

與政府部長級官員舉行了商談的領先銀行家們向英國《金融時報》表示，他們認爲英國首相特里薩•梅(Theresa May)最終會讓英國退出歐盟單一市場和關稅同盟。

They fear policy is being shaped by pro-Brexit ministers like Liam Fox, international trade secretary, who said in July that Britain would probably leave the customs union, and Brexit minister David Davis, who says it is improbable that Britain would stay in the single market.

他們擔心，政策正在由支持英國退歐的部長級官員制定，如國際貿易大臣利亞姆•福克斯(Liam Fox)和退歐事務部長戴維•戴維斯(David Davis)；福克斯曾在今年7月表示，英國很可能會退出關稅同盟，而戴維斯表示，英國不太可能留在單一市場。

The danger of hard talk now is that it increases uncertainty, reduces confidence and will result in businesses triggering their exit plans from the UK, said John McFarlane, chairman of Barclays and TheCityUK lobby group.

巴克萊(Barclays)董事長、遊說團體TheCityUK主席約翰•麥克法倫(John McFarlane)表示：如今強硬談判的風險是，它增加了不確定性，打擊了信心，將會導致企業啓動撤出英國的預案。

One Wall Street boss expressed concern that Mrs May did not fully grasp the consequences for the City of a hard Brexit, while other financiers claim civil servants are afraid to speak up to explain the broad risks of leaving the EU’s economic core.

一位華爾街老闆擔憂，梅沒有完全明白英國硬退歐對倫敦金融城的後果，而其他金融家稱，高級公務員們不敢直言，解釋英國離開歐盟經濟核心的廣泛風險。

Meanwhile John Holland-Kaye, chief executive of Heathrow, warned that leaving the EU customs union would add massive overhead for businesses and port operators.

與此同時，希思羅機場(Heathrow)首席執行官約翰•霍蘭-凱(John Holland-Kaye)警告稱，離開歐盟關稅同盟將會讓企業和港口運營商大幅增加運營成本。

Can you imagine operating something like the Euro[tunnel] if you had to suddenly build in all these checks in place? It would be completely unmanageable, he told the FT.

他向英國《金融時報》表示：如果你突然搞出所有這些檢查，你能想象運作英法海底隧道之類的東西嗎？那將是完全不可管理的。

One banker said that pro-Brexit ministers like Mr Fox and Mr Davis had yet to engage with the City.

一位銀行家表示，福克斯和戴維斯等支持英國退歐的部長級官員根本沒有與倫敦金融城接觸。

If you try to discuss detail with them, you are dismissed as questioning the merits of Brexit, said one.

他表示：如果你試圖與他們討論細節，他們就會不屑一顧，認爲你在質疑英國退歐的好處。

Whitehall insiders say that while Philip Hammond, chancellor, is fighting for the City, a rupture is inevitable: Of course we will end up out of the single market and customs union, said one.

白廳內部人士表示，儘管英國財政大臣菲利普•哈蒙德(Philip Hammond)正在爲倫敦金融城而戰，但決裂不可避免。一位內部人士表示：我們當然最終會退出單一市場和關稅聯盟。

It won’t be great but we will get the best possible deal.

這不是最好的結果，但我們將達成最佳可能的協議。