POLITICS
Taking the demands of local businesses to the heart of
Westminster
The Chamber will deliver the demands of regional businesses to the heart of Westminster this month. It will call on Government to shift its focus to fundamental domestic matters to secure a successful transition to a post-Brexit economy. Joined by local captains of industry, the Chamber has invited Ministers and top civil servants to a meeting in the Houses of Parliament to discuss what it believes are the biggest issues blocking regional growth. The trip to the heart of Government will see
the launch of the Chamber’s 2018 Manifesto and will come only five days after the regional State of the Economy Conference on 9 November. Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of
Policy, said: “Our manifesto has been drawn up following extensive consultation with regional businesses and from the results of our Quarterly Economic Surveys during the year. We will supplement it with any new concerns that surface at the conference. “It seems that since the June 2016 EU
Referendum, the Government has had almost tunnel vision on Brexit. While there is no doubt that Brexit is the biggest thing to affect business in the UK since the Second World War, we believe the Government is wrong to focus on it to the detriment of domestic issues. “There seems to be a general unwillingness to
progress things that will be vital to the success of UK plc once we leave the EU but now is not the time to give potential inward investors any excuse to look elsewhere. “We need to put the emphasis back on potholes not politics, broadband not Brexit. We need to make sure the rest of the world knows that Britain will remain open for business and be a world-leader in some areas, whatever happens with Brexit.”
Working with businesses from across
Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, the Chamber Manifesto – Growing the East Midlands Together - has been broken down to four principle areas, each of which will work with the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and five specific asks of Government.
The four headings and their content are:
1. CONNECT US • End the current ‘postcode lottery’ of broadband delivery that disadvantages firms in rural areas and on some business parks.
• Eradicate mobile phone ‘not spots’. • Accelerate the rollout of 5G mobile phone technology.
• Invest in repairing roads and reversing the rise in potholes.
• Invest in road improvement projects, particularly on the A46 and A5.
• Electrify the Midland Main Line rail link all the way through the East Midlands to secure longer-time reliability and cleaner, greener, lighter and faster trains.
• Invest in firms innovating in the low carbon sector.
Chris said: “The East Midlands currently
receives only 60% of the national average in terms of infrastructure spend. Poor quality roads, rail and broadband infrastructure are consistently among the top concerns of our members. We demand infrastructure investment parity with the rest of the UK by 2020. “We make more here in the East Midlands
than anywhere else in the UK and we’re very good at shipping what we make around the world. We are one of the fastest growing regions of the UK and we have world-class, innovative businesses based here. But think how much more we could do if we received fair investment. It’s time for Government to back a winner.”
2.GET THE BASICS RIGHT • Undertake education reform to end the dogmatic focus on grade attainment and give greater weight to employability skills and embed workplace experience in every child’s schooling.
• Deliver a transparent and predictable business rates system to encourage investment and is based on ability to pay.
• Give teeth to the Small Business Commissioner to meaningfully tackle late payment.
Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of Policy 38 business network November 2018
• Encourage more equitable public procurement practices.
Chris said: “Government must address the
day-to-day barriers to business. These are the basic building blocks of economic success which have been ignored or misunderstood by successive Governments. “Got right, these will give East Midlands’
businesses the chance to succeed regardless of their operating environment.”
3.REALISE OUR INTERNATIONAL AMBITIONS
• Place real SME business experience at the heart of future trade agreements.
• Minimise future trade tariffs and ensure business benefits from existing Free Trade Agreements.
• Broker new agreements with emerging markets.
• Ensure businesses have continued access to recruit from overseas.
• Fund an expanded trade mission programme. • Reduce Air Passenger Duty and back new air route development.
• Maximise the potential of regional airports. Chris said: “It is businesses that trade
internationally, not governments, and it will be the ability of businesses to adapt and respond to changes that will shape the country’s future relationship with the EU and the rest of the world. “The East Midlands is home to many global
firms. People, ideas and products leave the East Midlands and travel all over the world every day and come to the East Midlands from around the world. This is a strength that must be fully utilised.”
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