COMMENT
THE LAST WORD
KEVIN HARRIS, Chamber President, on the issues that are worth talking about HS2
DIVERSITY BENEFITS BUSINESS Diversity has long been a positive influence on society, which has helped to enrich businesses and communities not only across the East Midlands but in every corner of the UK. As the focus feature of this issue of Business
Network makes clear, businesses which embrace workplace diversity and inclusion tend to unlock a whole host of benefits. But as it also points out, defining and managing diversity and inclusivity is no mean feat, because the modern workforce is evolving all the time. One thing for sure, though, is that businesses
which are committed to bringing people from different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs into their organisations tend to benefit from a greater range of ideas, innovation and creative thought, which helps to improve their problem-solving and decision-making, and the service they provide to customers. They are also the businesses which enjoy an
enhanced reputation, better brand awareness and, crucially, inspire a higher degree of brand loyalty. The message is a clear one, diversity and inclusion are the keys to business success, and you can’t afford to ignore them any longer.
CELEBRATING BUSINESS SUCCESS Over the course of this month, three prestigious gala dinners will be taking place – a highlight of the Chamber’s social calendar – to toast the success of our members across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. The annual Chamber Business Awards are
once again upon us, where we will once again learn who the region’s brightest, best and most innovative businesses and leaders are. As ever, the Chamber has been overwhelmed
by the sheer number of entries received this year, which once again set a new benchmark for quality. Every year, the judging panel’s job gets that
little bit harder when it comes to deciding which businesses are worthy of an award, because the standard of entry gets higher and higher. We’ll be bringing you a round up of all the winners in next month’s Business Network so for
86 business network September 2019
QUEEN’S AWARDS Speaking of awards, it would be timely of me to once again mention the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. This year’s application deadline may now have
passed, but the Chamber is continuing to work with the Lieutenancy Offices in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire to encourage more businesses to enter. There are a whole range of reasons why you
should apply for these prestigious awards which are a hallmark of true quality and will help you to raise the profile of your business significantly. Don’t just take my word for it. Read our
interview, on page 28, with Mike Kapur, the Lord- Lieutenant of Leicestershire, and Dr Nik Kotecha, Chief Executive of Chamber patron Morningside Pharmaceuticals, which won a Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2012, about the benefits of winning.
now, I wish all of this year’s finalists the best of luck and congratulations for getting this far. Special thanks must also go to all the
organisations which make our awards possible each year through their kind and generous sponsorship. There are too many to list here individually, but their support is celebrated on page 71.
Although Brexit has been the key issue on the local and national business agenda for the past couple of years, HS2 – and infrastructure investment in general – has run it a close second. As regular readers will know, the Chamber has
long championed the call on Government to commit to, and deliver, Phase Two of HS2 as quickly as possible. So it was hugely disconcerting to hear that
the whole project may still hit the buffers, on the back of the recently-announced independent review of HS2, by Douglas Oakervee. HS2 is a hugely significant and much-needed
infrastructure project which will have a positive and transformational effect on the East Midlands and the UK as a whole. A step change is needed, which we firmly
believe HS2 will bring about. It isn’t just about speed, it’s about greater
connectivity, improved capacity, an enhanced ability to transfer the goods we make here, and about the UK once again being an aspirational, ambitious and forward-thinking country. Of course the caveat to all this is cost. We
absolutely need HS2, but we equally need to ensure value for money. There can be no blank cheque, especially given the magnitude of this project. We look forward to the findings of Douglas
Oakervee’s review, which must be conducted swiftly to minimise project delays and maximise the undoubted opportunities HS2 presents.
QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY And finally, a quick reminder that fieldwork for the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey is now live and I hope as many members as possible take the time to fill it in. The QES is the biggest independent business
survey of its type in the UK and often picks up underlying trends in the economy long before official figures do. The more businesses that take part, the more
data we get back and the more reliable the results are, so keep your eyes peeled for emails from the Chamber’s policy team inviting you to take part.
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