Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development and Witham MP, gives her views on the outlook for Essex businesses.

Following the vote to leave the EU, the Government and Bank of England have been working with businesses to ensure there is stability in the financial markets and security for business.

Importantly for business, the outcome changes nothing in the short term.

It is business as usual and our trade relationship with the EU remains the same for now.

Theresa May has been clear she wants to ensure Brexit is a success and has shaped her Government to deliver prosperity.

Time will be taken to carefully negotiate our exit from the EU and business will have a voice in those negotiations.

Three changes to Government Departments have taken place to prioritise delivering future success for our economy.

A Department for Exiting the European Union has been established. This Department is developing our negotiating strategy working across Government and listening to all interested parties, including business.

A Department for International Trade had been established. Leaving the EU gives the UK an unprecedented opportunity to redefine our role in the world as a great trading power and advocate of free trade.

Membership of the EU has prevented us from establishing close trading partnerships with our friends in the Commonwealth and fast growing emerging markets.

We can now pursue those opportunities and countries from across the world are already indicating their willingness to negotiate new trade deals with us.

We are well placed in Essex to benefit from more international trade with airports and ports in our county.

Moreover, we have a fantastic mix of businesses that are already world leaders and pioneers who will be able to secure more business and trade.

The Essex Chambers of Commerce is also exceptionally proactive at pursuing new trade links and their experience and expertise is welcome.

Firms in Essex have already secured business in new markets and any views on how we can secure more trade can be fed through into the Department for International Trade who are eager to listen and work with business.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been set up to bring together key economic and business functions. In particular, they are focusing on developing a new industrial strategy for Britain.

Taken together, these changes put Britain in a strong place to secure a prosperous economic future.