Representing the views of members to affect change is a key area of Chamber activity


“We often have very full and frank exchanges


at our MP business breakfasts, but we all want the same thing at the end of the day so it’s all very healthy,” said Chris. But MP engagement doesn’t stop at


constituency boundaries. He added: “We had fantastic engagement


from members and MPs when we took our business Manifesto, Delivering a Great Future, down to Westminster. Shaped by our members, our manifestos become the central reference points for our campaigning over the year.” If engagement with MPs and authorities help


shape political policy decisions, it is the engagement with the Bank of England where monetary policy decisions are shaped. Five or six times a year the Chamber sits


down with members and regional representatives of the Bank of England to share market intelligence. Again, the meetings are held under Chatham House rules so that discussions can be frank, open and honest. “The Bank of England relies on good feedback


from Chambers and other organisations around the country to ensure it has the right information for setting monetary policy and interest rates. These meetings are highly influential,” said Chris. But the QES, SIGs, MP business breakfasts and


Bank of England roundtable events still tell only a fraction of the story of what the Chamber does to ensure it has the most up to date information available. Various members of the senior management


team and directors represent the Chamber on over 135 external bodies, all of which have a role to play in shaping the decisions that impact the environment in which businesses operate. These include Local Enterprise Partnerships,


county level and through Strategy and Influence Group (SIG) meetings. These meetings are open to all Chamber member businesses, with the agendas picking up the key regional and national business policy issues, alongside the more local campaigning issues relevant to the areas members are operating in, both in terms of geography and sector.


About 20 times a year the Chamber meets


with local Members of Parliament in their constituencies to share the results of its various researches and to discuss ways of working together to enhance regional business and communities. The meetings are usually in the form of


business breakfasts and operate under Chatham House rules – where the identity and affiliations of participants are not revealed - to encourage all parties to speak openly.


the new East Midlands Development Corporation - which has a blank canvas to develop the wider Toton area - Midlands Engine, Midlands Connect, N2 Skills Employment Board, Destination Chesterfield, Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire, the Food and Drink Forum and the Newark Business Club, to name but a handful. Chris said: “Being involved in so


many organisations provides multiple opportunities for a free flow of information in both directions, which helps us with our policy making and lets us steer these other bodies based on what our members tell us. “It’s time consuming


but invaluable, and while the impact isn’t


always immediately seen it is very, very real.” Shaping policy isn’t all about addressing


issues on a topic or geographical basis. Given the importance of specific industries in


the region, the Chamber also has an important role in championing our key sectors. In doing this, the Chamber hosts about 40


sector forums a year spread across the three counties, offering businesses opportunities for peer-to-peer support, a chance to share best practice and for businesses to feedback to the Chamber any concerns they might have. The Chamber also hosts five major


conferences a year on subjects as diverse as Education & Skills, Manufacturing & Engineering, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility and, tying in with its annual general meeting, State of the Economy. Chris said: “Each conference has a specific


target market, but the objective remains the same – to provide members with the latest available intelligence about what is happening in their particular sector and to give them opportunities to network with other organisations working in the same field. “They also provide us with vital feedback from members working in those areas to help us shape our future asks and lobbying work.” So what are the current and forthcoming priorities? Ongoing campaigns include calling for full


electrification of the Midland Main Line and trying to persuade Government to give the East Midlands parity when it comes to infrastructure investment, along with ensuring SME member businesses are able to benefit from large national spends, including HS2 or Heathrow Airport. In the very near future the Chamber will be


rolling out a new campaign around public sector procurement to make sure small and medium- sized firms can take full advantage of the opportunities available. “By the Government’s own figures, for many years the East Midlands has received only 60% of the national average per head when it comes to infrastructure investment and we feel that the lack of


investment is holding back regional business,” said Chris. He added: “These day-to-day


activities are just the foundations of what we do, but it is having these solid foundations that means we have


the strength to stand up to the big bad wolf when he comes knocking.”


business network May 2019 43


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