Tim Cook Issues Vote Of Confidence For Post-Brexit Britain

Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed the company’s commitment to the UK, saying he is “very optimistic” about the UK’s post-Brexit future.

Cook met with Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street on Thursday to emphasise that Apple is a “big believer in the UK”, adding that he thinks the UK will “be just fine” with regards to the decision to leave the EU, the BBC reported. 

“Yes, there will be bumps in the road along the way,” he said, “But the UK’s going to be fine.”

UK support

He also reiterated the company’s plans to move more than 1,400 employees into a new London campus in the redeveloped Battersea Power Station, making it the largest tenant in the building with 500,000 square feet to play with.

“We’re doubling down on a huge headquarters in the Battersea area and we’re leaving significant space there to expand,” Cook said.

Apple later released a statement about the meeting with May, saying: “Tim had a positive meeting with the Prime Minister today, discussing Apple’s continued investment in the United Kingdom. We are proud that Apple’s innovation and growth now supports nearly 300,000 jobs across the UK.”

This vote of support for the UK follows on from Google’s announcement that it will continue with plans to invest £1 billion in a new London headquarters, although Microsoft has warned that Brexit might force it to cancel its planned UK data centre expansion.

Cook had earlier that day received an honourary doctorate degree from the University of Glasgow, where he condemned US President Donald Trump’s immigrant travel ban, joining the likes of Dropbox and several other prominent tech companies. 

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