London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Brexit Britain faces five to ten year COVID recovery, Sorrell says

Brexit Britain faces five to ten year COVID recovery, Sorrell says

Britain could take five to 10 years to properly recover from the pandemic because the COVID-19 financial hit will sap the economy of the firepower it needs to rebuild for Brexit, advertising supremo Martin Sorrell said on Monday.
Britain has recorded the worst death toll in Europe and the deepest economic contraction of any leading G7 nation from the coronavirus, forcing it to pump more than 200 billion pounds ($263 billion) into the economy to keep it afloat.

It is now preparing to finally leave the European Union on December 31, and is yet to secure a future trade deal.

“It is going to take a long time for the UK to recover unfortunately,” Sorrell, the founder of the world’s biggest advertising company WPP and one of the longest serving chief executives of British listed companies, told Reuters.

“It’s going to be a tough 5 to 10 years, we’re going to be 5 to 10 years before the economy fully recovers from the Brexit withdrawal and the industrial changes that will need to take place, to re-skill, to re-educate, to invest in the necessary infrastructure.”

The United Kingdom left the EU in January but the sides are now trying to clinch a deal that would govern nearly 1 trillion dollars in annual trade before informal membership - known as the transition period - ends at the end of the year.

Even with a deal, importers and exporters will face delays at borders in the first months of next year as they adapt to the need for paperwork to trade with Europe, a level of friction that could threaten their role in regional supply chains.

Sorrell, now the head of a new digital and data ad group S4 Capital SFOR.L, said the country needed to embark on a new programme of investment not just in physical infrastructure but in 5G capacity and technology skills.

This was becoming more important, he said, after the pandemic forced companies to accelerate digital strategies.

S4 Capital posted third-quarter organic gross profit growth of 23% on Monday, helped by companies in consumer goods and healthcare transforming into digital businesses.

He is more bullish on the recovery chances of the United States, led by its tech giants, and of Asia Pacific. “I think western Europe is going to have more challenges,” he said.

Ahead of the Brexit deadline, many company executives have criticised the government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson for failing to engage with business and give companies enough time to prepare for the biggest change to trade in more than 45 years.

Sorrell, who founded WPP during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher and has sat on many government-business councils in his time, said the criticism was justified as long as people acknowledged just how difficult the current situation was.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×