COMMENT
THE LAST WORD
KEVIN HARRIS, Chamber President, on the issues that are worth talking about
GIVING YOU A VOICE The theme of this edition of Business Network is centred around giving businesses of all shapes and sizes a voice – something which is incredibly important, especially in these uncertain times where businesses are struggling to forward plan, given so much remains up in the air with regards to the UK’s exit of the European Union. Listening to our members’ views, facilitating
discussions with key decision and policy-makers and providing that mouthpiece locally, regionally and nationally is something that the Chamber takes great pride in and forms a crucial part of Chamber activity. From my own recent experience of going
down to Westminster with a Chamber-led delegation – which included a number of members of all sizes and from all sectors – I know the impact this area of activity has and can have in the future and, be it through the Chamber’s important Quarterly Economic Survey, or through speaking with the Chamber directly, I would urge members to connect with us with your asks and concerns to ensure we can accurately and coherently champion your interests at all levels.
BREXIT While the announcement of an extension of Article 50 offers temporary respite in what has been a pressurised and at times dramatic few months, it does little to guarantee any mid to long-term assurances for businesses, which – despite showing admirable resolve and commitment to ‘getting things done’ – continue to be hampered by such extended uncertainty. This level of uncertainty has gone on too long
and our members are telling us unequivocally that the process, which has gone on now for three years, is hampering their planning – which is so important to businesses of all sizes. I applaud the strong stance taken by both the
British Chambers of Commerce and our own Chamber in being categorical in stating that businesses need answers. Scott Knowles was absolutely right when he
said that continued delays damage UK plc’s reputation and the ability for businesses to plan for the future. He is also correct when he says that we must see a refocus on domestic matters,
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which have suffered as a result of the complex and seemingly all-consuming Brexit process.
NEW PATRONS Since the last edition of Business Network, the Chamber has welcomed a number of new patrons to the Chamber family and I would like to personally welcome them on board and know that they will, individually and collectively, add real value to what the Chamber can offer to its members. The new patrons are all respected, well-
established organisations which are committed to working with the Chamber to enhance East Midlands businesses and communities. More information on the Chamber’s new patrons can be found on pages 28 and 29 of this publication.
HS2 It was very encouraging and pleasing to see over 70 businesses attend the recent HS2 Supply Chain event in Coalville, all keen to maximise the considerable opportunities that exist in connection with HS2 – the country’s biggest investment in national railways since the Victorian era. When construction peaks, it is suggested that
HS2 will need an estimated 30,000 people to design and build the full network, which will extend northwards to Manchester and Leeds. Equally, the East Midlands HS2 Growth
Strategy predicts 74,000 jobs and a £4bn boost to the region’s economy by 2043. There are considerable opportunities for the
region’s businesses and this is by no means restricted to larger businesses or those operating in the construction and/or rail industry. Such a large-scale project requires a vast array
of services – archaeology, design, planning and security to name just a few. As well as the macro benefits that HS2 will
bring to the region, the opportunities are there for our region’s businesses to take advantage of this extensive process and I would urge members to consider how they can benefit from it. For more details on supply chain opportunities, visit
www.hs2.org.uk/supply-chain
EMPLOYMENT FIGURES It was encouraging to see the East Midlands recover from a dip in the previous month’s employment figures, provided by the Office for National Statistics, with the number of people in work in the East Midlands rising in the three months to the end of February, according to the latest available figures. This once again underlines the robustness of
the East Midlands business community and it will be interesting to see whether this positive trend continues in the coming months. However, we can take nothing for granted. The
reality of a political and business environment that remains in the grips of uncertainty is that such figures could be unpredictable – and the recent dip followed by a recovery perhaps underlines employers’ lack of confidence in their ability to plan investment, even if the appetite for investment and growth remains strong.
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