UK investors predict soft Brexit and reject second referendum

The peer-to-peer business lender surveys its 32,000-strong investor community every quarter, to canvass their opinions on pertinent issues in finance, government and the economy.

In the latest edition, which was carried out in February 2019, 40% of respondents predicted an eventual soft Brexit. A further 22% predicted that there would be no Brexit at all and the balance of 38% foresaw a hard Brexit.

Looking at the other key question of the moment, 54% of investors did not want a second referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union, with only 46% reporting that they wanted another chance to vote.

Stuart Law, CEO of Assetz Capital, said: “In 2018, our Investor Barometer revealed that the Assetz Capital community’s confidence in a good Brexit deal had been declining all year. This year, the results suggest that our investors just want the government to get on with the job.

“Regardless of the nature of Britain’s eventual exit from the European Union, our message is clear: peer-to-peer lending was borne out of the last economic crisis, and will thrive in any additional downturns related to Brexit. If banks stop lending and begin to offer zero savings rates, investors and SMEs alike can rest assured that we will be there to support the economy and people’s need for income, just as we have done before.”

- March 11, 2019