Anthony Browne, chairman of BAMF:
“The UK remains a highly competitive place to buy and sell art and we see no reason why this should change."
"It is far too early to speculate on what effect, if any, the outcome of the EU Referendum will have on the UK's art market, which is the second largest in the world."
Rebecca Davies, chief executive of LAPADA:
"As a trade association, it is important to represent the interests of our members first and foremost, but I believe these interests and those of the wider market are not mutually exclusive.
"With this in mind, priorities for members are likely to be twofold: reducing barriers to business, such as red tape and its associated costs, and taking full advantage of the global market by removing any existing competitive disadvantage.
"I’m sure that a number of dealers would want the Government to review the Artist’s Resale Right.
"It might also be useful to revisit the Government’s Balance of Competences Review, which it undertook in 2012. That looked at how EU legislation affects the UK and could act as a guide to what most urgently needs our attention now, such as competition law and regulations concerning cultural goods."
Marco Forgione, chief executive, BADA:
"The UK Government has the opportunity now to focus on supporting the art and antique marketplace and implementing policies which support our global perspective.
"The democratic structures in the EU have caused difficulties on issues such as Artist's Resale Right when the UK represents more than 50% of the EU market and yet had no ability to oppose the damaging legislation.
"There are a series of policies we’d like to see reviewed and considered and we will be working with colleagues across the art and antiques industry in establishing what’s in the best interests of the trade and the UK market.
"After the series of shocks and instability that this result will cause have passed, it is imperative that the Government focuses on ensuring that the policies it implements encourage and enhance global trade and the art and antique market can be a standard bearer for this new liberated and progressive approach."
Helen Carless, chair, SoFAA:
"It is difficult to fully assess what the impact of Brexit will have on the auction market.
"We have already seen a sharp rise in the price of gold and a sharp fall in the value of the pound. Both these reactions may offer positive opportunities for our business as buyers scramble into the relative safety of antiques.
"We witnessed this in the recession of 2008 when prices for antiques did not dip – if anything they showed some hardening. Of course while we are still a member of the single market, a weak pound makes antiques cheap to buyers outside the UK."
Jeremy Lamond, director at auctioneer Halls:
"We hop that good things from the EU would be retained, such as the European Payment Enforcement Order, a system that allows a creditor to enforce a judgement in another EU state without resorting to other court proceedings.
“We benefit from this at Halls because it has a similar effect as a CCJ [County Court Judgement], in that it has encouraged people to pay their bills.
“There will be a question mark over whether people will consign into this country from mainland Europe or vice versa if they are subject to import taxes."
