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THE ART OF INFLUENCE


BUSINESS NETWORK


David Williams (pictured), Chair of law firm and Chamber strategic partner Geldards, on why now, more than ever, the region's business community must come together with one, united voice.


I’m sure we can all remember where we were when the news came through that Britain had voted to leave the European Union. Wherever you were, I’m pretty certain there will have


been a few of you wondering how we could vote to do something which might make life even more complicated for an economy which was, in some parts of the country, still finding its feet in the wake of the financial crisis. Some, I suspect, were asking a simple question: don’t


these people understand how business works? Here we are three years later, and I’m not sure we’re any


closer to answering that question in the affirmative. Indeed, what has been particularly disturbing is the tendency to dismiss evidence of the disruptive impact of a No Deal Brexit and blithely claim that all it will take for us to cope is a bit of the old Blitz spirit. But let’s take a step back from this fevered environment


for a moment. If ordinary people don’t fully understand the contribution business makes to their daily lives, why has that happened? If politicians feel able to ignore warnings from major employers about large-scale disruption, what kind of feelings are they responding to? A democratic vote to leave the European Union took place.


Where it will ultimately lead is, to this day, unclear. What is clear is that we as businesses have a job to do. We have to persuade ordinary people that what we do, what we stand for and the opportunities and wealth we create are relevant and critical to their future. We have to persuade politicians and policymakers locally and nationally that building an economy that works for all is a partnership project in which business must have a voice at the decision-making table. And we all have a responsibility to play a part in that. Whatever happens to our relationship with the EU and


the rest of the world, it seems to me that what we might loosely term ‘business as usual’ is no longer adequate. There are disruptive opportunities and challenges around technology and the environment that have to be confronted, and a new generation of millennials coming into the workforce for whom broader definitions of success mean changed expectations. Beyond those big picture issues, the most important


contribution we can make is to recognise the importance of place in people’s lives. In an era when it sometimes seems that distant, global decisions leave people and places powerless, the business community of the East Midlands must stand up for the East Midlands, speak up for the East Midlands and make sure that the places and people which we depend on are heard, promoted and supported. The principles are fine, but how do we do that? If I’m


honest, a coherent, coordinated voice has not always been the region’s strongest suit. Everyone loves some Saturday afternoon tribalism at Pride Park (or even the City Ground!), but internal squabbles equal external indifference. If we can’t make our minds up then places that have done will get the money.


‘If ordinary people don’t fully understand the contribution business makes to their daily lives, why has that happened?’


The region needs a clear voice when engaging with Westminster Like it or not (and I’m not sure I do), most decisions


about large-scale regional investment begin in London. The capital is noisily competitive, decision-makers are busy and time-pressured. If we’re going to get through the door we must have strong messages about coherent plans with clear objectives - presented by an investable team. Those plans will work only if we all buy into them. From Geldards’ perspective, we have always felt that if


we’re going to add value to relationships - whether that is with clients or the places we’re part of - then we have to practice what we preach. That means not just lending our corporate support, but rolling our sleeves up as individuals and getting involved in formal efforts to improve the world around us. I sit on the board of D2N2, the local enterprise


partnership, and have also chaired the Derby-Nottingham Metro Growth Board. My colleague Paul Southby chairs Marketing Nottingham and others members of the Geldards team sit on the boards of universities, colleges and sporting organisations. For us, this isn’t about business leading the way – it’s about cementing meaningful partnerships with fellow economic stakeholders, politicians who represent the public, Government and local authority public servants who put policy into practice, and institutions we feel we should support. This is how we bring together persuasive, investable


teams. We are not alone, of course. One of the key flag- wavers has been the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) itself and both members and non-members should be grateful that one of the biggest regional business organisations in the country has been making the case for our economy at Westminster for years.


business network May 2019 55


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