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Samantha Cameron has said that her clothing business is hampered by post-Brexit trade difficulties with European countries.
In his first one-on-one interview with the BBC, Cameron said his fashion brand, Cefinn, had been hit by “initial problems” and the additional costs involved in selling products to Europe under the government’s trade deal with the EU.
Speaking to Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, she said: “If you bring products into the country from outside the UK and then try to sell them back to Europe, it is currently a challenge and a difficulty.”
Echoing current Brexit concerns from many small businesses about bureaucracy and extra fees, Cameron said: “We really thought we had done our homework and this… we didn’t expect it. So I think for bigger businesses, it’s fine. But if you are small, it is a challenge. “
He said Brexit was thwarting his ambitions to expand his business in Europe.
She said “It is [teething issues] it needs to be analyzed because otherwise we cannot grow our business. It’s frustrating, most of our business is in the UK and we do some business in the US, but we had some business in the EU. And obviously you would like to cultivate it, because it is just around the corner. But unless some of the expenses and costs of doing that are analyzed, it will be a challenge. “
In an apparent blow to government advisers who suggested that British companies exporting to the continent should set up separate companies within the EU, Cameron said: “We can’t afford to have warehouses in Europe and that sort of thing.”
He also urged the government to “talk to all companies that are in a similar position to mine.”
When asked by new Woman’s Hour host Emma Barnett if she had discussed Brexit supply chain issues with her husband, Cameron said, “Yes, definitely. Some of these things came up late in the negotiations. So you definitely have to deal with this problem at work. “
He also offered support to the current prime minister’s partner, Carrie Symonds, for media representations of her influence over Boris Johnson, following reports of an internal dispute in Downing Street in the fall.
When asked about claims that former Johnson aide-in-chief Dominic Cummings’ allies called Symonds “Princess Nut Nut,” Cameron said, “I don’t think you should have that kind of criticism on your door. The idea that it is the wife that influences them in some way. ” Regardless of what they think or the advice they get from their team, I think it’s degrading for the prime minister. “
She added: “I think it is very unfair to choose her [Symonds] as if he had some kind of undue influence. “
When asked for any advice he could give Symonds, Cameron said: “I think you have to find your own way. Do the things you enjoy, do the things you feel you are good at. And support Boris as much as you can. “
