POLITICS BEYOND WESTMINSTER
Amanda Solloway, who was MP for Derby North, looks at the opportunities for the East Midlands.
Region must be a big player within Midlands Engine
work with Chambers of Commerce to deliver its Industrial Strategy because Chambers “provide a presence, consistency and stability not replicated anywhere else in the Midlands landscape” and because "we have no political affiliations and a strong track record of working with partners from across the public and private sector”. Chris said: “The Government has an opportunity to shape Britain’s economic future post-Brexit. It needs to heed the voice of business in determining that future and as the biggest business-representation organisation in the Midlands, we hope it will take note of what we are telling them our members are saying.”
CHAMBER QES RESULTS
The Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Surveys provide a snapshot of the state of the economy every three months. The results shape the direction of Chamber activity, including its interaction with opinion-formers and decisions-makers regionally, nationally and internationally. They also feed into the British Chambers
of Commerce Quarterly Economic Surveys, helping to build a national picture of the state of the economy and directing BCC activity at a national level. Chris Hobson, said: “It is a strange quirk
that the better business is doing, the fewer respond to our surveys. During the Brexit mini-boom we have seen a decline in the number of respondents, with only 282 taking the few minutes necessary to complete the survey in the first quarter of this year. “The more businesses that complete the
survey, the more accurate the picture we build and the better we can represent the needs of business. I would urge all Chamber members to complete the survey every quarter to ensure our policies reflect the needs of the majority of businesses.”
The East Midlands is steeped in rich manufacturing and engineering history, home to global leaders in sectors that produce goods and services competing to the highest standards with others around the world. I’ve always been fascinated by manufacturing, having joined a British suit maker over 15
years ago when they had 30,000 employed in production. To see that now reduced to a sample line of three is so very sad. I find the whole subject intriguing and challenging and while I know that realistically some industries may never come back to this country, I believe we must do everything in our power to make sure we retain and expand the industries we do have, especially in light of the export opportunities available. I was therefore delighted when the Modern Industrial Strategy for Britain plan was announced, outlining ten strategic pillars to improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth. The Industrial Strategy will be about harnessing the best of what our cities have to
‘The Industrial Strategy will be about harnessing the best of what our cities have to offer’
offer from developing skills, upgrading infrastructure to encouraging outward trade and investment. The Government opened its doors to discussion and consultation with businesses and organisations to work closely on what matters most, putting together a strategy that focuses on key areas crucial to our future growth and I am delighted to see the feedback that is being offered by East Midlands Chamber and others. I believe this will prove to be a great milestone in creating an economy where the country as a whole can benefit from its success. This announcement was, of course, followed by support for the Midlands Engine, an
idea that I have supported, as I believe passionately that the East Midlands should be as strong as the West Midlands within the Midlands Engine. It is great that £392m will be invested through local growth funds and that D2N2 will receive £62m, some of which will go towards regenerating Derby city centre. A key challenge we face in the East Midlands is about improving our levels of productivity
and to do so we must start with the basics. As the Chamber has said many times, a focus on driving up standards in education and making sure our young people receive the best training possible will create an environment that will boost jobs and skills in the region. It is a challenge and I do believe that our careers advice is woefully inadequate, although of course it has its complexities. For example, how do we showcase the richness of so many careers throughout a child’s education? One idea may be to link industries with schools. I am optimistic for the future, but if we are truly to be the Midlands Engine, at no point can we afford to take our foot off the pedal.
ABOUT AMANDA SOLLOWAY Prior to becoming an MP, Amanda had a lengthy career in retail and manufacturing, establishing her own management consultancy focusing on behavioural change for positive improvement. On becoming an MP, Amanda was nominated and elected as a member of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee (BIS). She was a member of the Combined Work & Pensions and Business, Innovation and Skills Committee and is a member on the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR). She was the Chairman for Conservative Friends of International Development (CFID) prior to becoming a PPS in cDFID. Amanda has a keen interest in business, particularly retail and manufacturing.
business network May 2017 27
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