Politicians have not been listening to business people during their “constant” arguments about Brexit, the boss of Dorset’s major employers’ organisation has said.

Ian Girling, chief executive of Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said businesses were frustrated and in need of clarity, only months before Britain leaves the European Union.

In June, Boris Johnson, who was then foreign secretary, was reported to have said “F*** business” when asked about business concerns over Brexit.

Mr Girling said the chamber had “no dialogue” with local politicians before or after the EU referendum, other than with Tobias Ellwood, the Remain-supporting government minister and MP for Bournemouth East.

He said: “What we seem to have a government that’s really struggling to get the deal done.

“I think the politicians need to have a far stronger understanding of the position businesses are in when they just argue constantly. It’s extremely frustrating for business.”

He stressed that the chamber had not come down on either side of the EU referendum debate but added: “I don’t think the politicians were listening to business.”

Despite the uncertainty, he said there were signs of Dorset’s economy doing well, with low unemployment, a “buoyant” tourism industry and strong confidence.

Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns, a Brexit supporter, said he sat in on many consultations with business groups when he was parliamentary aide to business secretary Greg Clark.

“I listen and talk regularly to businesses within my constituency and more widely,” he said.

“There’s always a big difference between listening to the concerns of individual businesses, who are quite properly trying to anticipate what the nature of the future trading relationship will be, and listening to those who appoint themselves to speak on behalf of businesses generally.

“More than 80 per cent of the UK businesses don’t do any trade beyond the borders of the UK in any case. Many businesses will be pretty much unaffected by whatever the nature of the relationship is but I certainly have been doing a lot of reaching out as I did before and after the Brexit vote.”

He said businesses and groups were welcome to contact him with their views.