The likelihood of the UK making a ‘hard Brexit’ from the EU seems to grow by the day. what legal recourse exists for foreign investors who came to the UK on the premise of having access to the EU single market? Jacopo Dettoni reports. 

Leading advocates of Brexit foresee a ‘global UK’, unshackled by EU institutions and legislation, and free to trade and invest on new terms with the more exciting markets of the world. Yet there is mounting evidence to suggest that the UK’s trade and investment prospects will nevertheless remain heavily influenced by the EU, writes Dan Nicholls. 

Northern Ireland has been an FDI hotspot over the past decade, but is facing the prospect of the return of a physical border with Ireland to its south in the wake of the UK's Brexit referendum. Jacopo Dettoni looks into how the country is preparing for this possibility. 

The once-prosperous port city of Hull in eastern England has suffered numerous setbacks over the past few decades, resulting in social and economic problems. However, as Richard Gardham discovers, its status as the UK’s City of Culture for 2017, and a $420m investment from engineering giant Siemens to build a wind turbine production plant, have given the city genuine reasons for optimism

London has long been first choice in Europe for financial services firms to headquarter. Since the Brexit vote, however, global banks are choosing to relocate some or all of their operations to centres such as Dublin and Frankfurt – so where does this leave the UK capital? 

Although Brexit has raised short-term concerns over FDI flows, the UK economy’s compelling pro-business characteristics should see flows continue at a robust rate. The recent dip in overseas buying of UK companies is also likely to be short-term, though businesses seeking overseas buyers should present the best case to attract foreign corporate suitors, says Lord Leigh of Hurley.