POLITICS
Successful businesses and thriving communities go hand in hand
Whatever happens over the next few weeks, one thing that has been made clear time and again over the past two-and-a-half years and more is that there is a growing gulf between people and politics. In physical terms, depending on where you
drop your pin on the map, within the three counties represented by the Chamber you could be anything from 90 to 190 miles away from Westminster. Metaphysically, though, the gap between
Government and this region is often too big to be measured in mere miles. And the scale of the problem the gulf creates shouldn’t be underestimated. It has manifested itself over and over again in
things such an inequality of investment funding compared with the rest of the UK – particularly London and the Southeast - and ill-thought- through policy making. Ultimately, this has led to a growing disenchantment and even disenfranchisement with politics among many regional communities. This disillusionment has been exacerbated by
other factors, such as technological development – sometimes referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution - which is changing at a rate that we’re simply not used to in terms of the way the world works and how people engage with one another. It will be fascinating exploring this in more
detail at our Annual Dinner later this month – taking place on 21 March at Colwick Hall, Nottingham - where the Gadget Show’s Jason Bradbury will be our guest speaker. Away from the studio Jason is also a lecturer
on the University of Lincoln’s Computer Science and Product Design courses and is well known for exploring themes such as the exponential advance in digital technology and how computers will be so integral to the world around us they will cease to be seen as an object in themselves. But for now, one thing is abundantly clear; old
understandings of the relationship between people and politics – not to mention the media – have shifted and are unlikely ever to go back to what they were. So why is it important for businesses to be
aware of this? At our State of the Economy Conference last
November we heard from British Chambers of Commerce Director General Adam Marshall, who spoke about the role of ‘civic businesses’ – businesses that acknowledge and demonstrate through their products and practices that they have a role to play in the success of local communities. He also provided an interview for this
publication last October in which he said: “Our activity is underpinned by four words and principles – Voice; Trade; Membership and Place.
48 business network March 2019 “Every Chamber of Commerce gives a voice to
its local community, it helps companies that trade internationally, it brings people together through the bond of membership and belonging, and it helps to make the place where it does business better. “We have an incredibly diverse network of
companies out there and what you can’t bottle and take away very easily is that sense of belonging and togetherness; businesses which actively work to help each other, sometimes even when they are in competition with each other.
“Businesses come together to make a
difference to their bottom line but also to enhance the community in which they live, work and play – that is hugely important.” This is something, as a Chamber, we’ve been
working on for many years, through projects such as our school engagement, delivery of the Government’s Work Programme, our support for apprentices and of course the Sustainability agenda, to name but a few. But perhaps, to date, it’s something that has
sat in the background of things we deliver, or at best on the periphery of how we understand our
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