COMMENT
THE LAST WORD
KEVIN HARRIS, Chamber President, on the issues that are worth talking about
divorce settlement will look like, the UK is set to leave the EU at the end of the month. With just weeks to go, there are still so many
unknown potential scenarios and possible outcomes that even the world’s most gifted psychics would struggle to see coming. The UK leaving the EU creates a series of challenges and opportunities for businesses of all sizes and the Chamber, as the largest business support organisation in the region, is active in ensuring we are influencing the conversation for the region’s businesses while remaining abreast of all developments. We have developed a range of guides, events,
CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS With the dust having now settled on the 2019 Chamber Business Awards, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a fantastic month of award ceremonies which saw us celebrate and acknowledge some of the most enterprising, innovative and ambitious businesses this region has to offer. For me, personally, being able to address so
many of you, our members, at the three gala dinners across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire was an honour, a privilege and one of the highlights of my year-long tenure as Chamber President. It was incredibly inspiring to hear all the
excellent work our businesses, the creators of wealth and enhancers of our communities, are doing despite the backdrop of a continuingly uncertain climate. Here in the East Midlands, we are blessed with
great businesses. We’re great at making things and then exporting
them around the world for people to enjoy. We’re great innovators. We caused at least two of the three industrial revolutions to date – maybe all three - and we can definitely lead the fourth. Our awards were a real celebration of that.
Congratulations to the finalists and all the winners – every business and individual nominated for an award deserved to be there.
GETTING READY FOR BREXIT Brexit appears to have entered its final stages and although we still don’t know what the final
98 business network October 2019
training and workshops, helping members understand the latest implications and develop strategies for how they can respond to Brexit. Whatever happens, business will change,
adapt and win through. It always does. There will doubtless be casualties along the
way, but firms which have a clear vision, a plan of how to get there, and the determination to stay the course will emerge stronger by the end of it. So whatever happens, let’s stick together and make Brexit a success.
HS2 DELAYS HS2 was again in the headlines recently following Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ announcement that final completion of the northern section of the high-speed rail network would likely be delayed from 2033 to 2035 at the earliest. The news of potential delays, specifically to
Phase 2b, which will have the greatest effect on us here in the East Midlands, needs to be placed in context with the bigger picture. HS2 is a huge, transformational infrastructure
project which has enormous potential to benefit our region, and the country, for generations to come. While we want HS2 to be operational as soon
as possible, the key focus is that we get it right. What is of greater concern is that we put to
bed the ‘will it or won’t it happen’ speculation so that we can focus on getting HS2 built – regardless of whether it comes to fruition in 2033, 2035 or later.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to
rebalance our country’s economy and demonstrate both internally and to the outside world that we are a world class country in which to do business, supported by world class infrastructure. What is certain is that when people look back
on a fully-functioning HS2 in the years to come, the core discussion will centre on the contribution it has made to this country, not the fact that completion was delayed by a few years.
END OF AN ERA The phrase ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ has never been truer as the end of my term as Chamber President draws rapidly closer. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year
since I received the chains of office from my predecessor, Rob Mayo, and took on a role I have thoroughly enjoyed. One of the primary objectives I set for my
Presidential year was to celebrate the success of member businesses and to encourage them to take advantage of opportunities for growth, both here in the UK and globally. I feel we have achieved that in bucketloads –
our recent Business Awards are living proof. I’m also delighted with the increased focus
that the Chamber is placing on CSR in our ongoing bid to become a more civic business, as our new vision of ‘enhancing East Midlands businesses and communities’ continues to come to the fore. It means that instead of focusing simply on
business, we are now driving closer integration between firms and the communities in which they are located and driving growth through that integration. It means we are taking a lead in helping to
develop thriving communities, a need that was identified in the Government’s Industrial Strategy and which is included in the work our fantastic LEPs are doing at a local level. With this in mind, I do hope as many members as possible will join me at the Chamber’s AGM, in November, where I will sign- off as President by looking ahead to 2020 and whatever it may have in store. I look forward to seeing you there.
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