The last word from David Frost as Director General of the BCC: GOVERNMENT HAS MORE TO DO IF WE ARE TO GET THE ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN


On September 2nd -- his last day in post -- outgoing Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, David Frost, said the Government still has more work to do if we are to see


a sustained economic recovery over the coming months. As he said farewell to the business organisation after eight years in the job, he outlined his six point plan to get the economy moving again.


1. Focus on wealth creation


"Over the years, we have forgotten the importance of wealth creation. As a nation, we all want to see improved public services, but to achieve this we need to create wealth. Politicians need to focus on this debate rather than on spending money."


2. Adhere to the economic plan set out by the Chancellor


"We as a country cannot go on spending £150bn more each year than we raise in taxes. There is not a painless way to bring public finances back into balance and you cannot endlessly put off making hard decisions."


3. The Government must provide supporting infrastructure to help businesses grow and thrive


"The most vital component is a high class education system. The present system fails too many young people. We have those that have the education and skills that allow them to compete with an increasingly globalised workforce, and those that leave school with minimal or no qualifications and face a future of life trapped on welfare. We then have to spend billions of pounds a few years later providing them with basic employability skills to try and integrate them into work."


4. Help businesses take on local people rather than migrant workers by providing British people with the right skills


"The adoption of migrant labour, particularly from Eastern Europe, has been one of the most dramatic changes I have seen in my time at the BCC. Overwhelmingly, business has adopted migrant workers for the simple reason that they are often better educated and


THREE


have a stronger work ethic than local people. It is not about paying lower wages. If the government is serious about "British Jobs for British Workers", then not only do they have to improve the education system, but also radically change the welfare system so it never pays not to work."


5. Reduce red tape


"It is not only the volume of employment regulation, but the endless tinkering to existing regulations which is burdensome and creates confusion for business owners. For example, there have been six major changes to parental rights in the last ten years. Small businesses in particular are worried about getting it wrong and ending up in front of an employment tribunal, so the default is often only to employ an extra person as a last resort. This is hardly the right outcome when we have 2.5m people unemployed in the UK."


6. Press ahead with crucial planning reforms


"The default response within this country to almost any new proposed development is "No". We do not want to concrete over the countryside, but at the same time, construction is a driver of economic growth and the population of this country is growing fast and needs to be housed. It's not a case of throwing out the rulebook to grow the economy at any cost, but there is clear evidence that the system is too complicated, too costly, and too uncertain. The Government must hold its course on these planning reforms so we can revitalise growth, and get the economy moving again."


David Frost has been Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) since January 2003. Prior to this he was Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. David is Chairman of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. He is a Board Member of Ufi/ Learn Direct and also a member of the National Employer Advisory Board for the Reserve Forces. In February 2008 David received an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University.


Mr John


Longworth will replace David Frost as BCC Director General.


Mr Longworth has held a


number of high- profile roles in


business and public life, including stints as a senior executive at Asda and Tesco. He is currently a non-executive director of the Co-operative Group Food Ltd and Nichols plc, is a member of the Competition Commission, and is active in both social enterprise and a Midlands- based venture capital-backed company, SVA Ltd.


Kent Invicta Chamber would like to take this opportunity to say farewell to David Frost, with many thanks for all his help and effort over the years to the Chamber movement in general and Kent Invicta Chamber in particular, and to the UK business community as a whole.


www.britishchambers.org.uk


We welcome Mr Longworth and look forward to working with him. He has a hard act to follow, but doubtless he will be able to maintain a noble tradition whilst developing his own influence in an important position.


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