Chamber ready to work with Labour government

Business leaders in Greater Birmingham today congratulated Labour on their decisive General Election victory – and vowed to work with the new Government to ensure the region is the best possible place to do business.

A landslide Labour win ensured Sir Keir Starmer will be the new Prime Minister, following a historic night in which a host of high-profile Conservative MPs, including Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt and Jacob Rees-Mogg, were unseated.

In the West Midlands, Labour regained the Birmingham Northfield seat with Laurence Turner defeating Tory opponent Gary Sambrook.

They also claimed Lichfield, with Michael Fabricant losing the seat he had held since 1992 to Labour’s Dave Robertson.

However, long-standing Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood lost his seat to Independent candidate Ayoub Khan.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said businesses are ready for “a sense of urgency and ambition” from the new Government.

Henrietta Brealey (pictured), CEO of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We congratulate Keir Starmer and the Labour Party on their decisive victory.

“From a local perspective, we would also like to congratulate the MPs that have been elected across the region and thank those who have lost their seats for their service – many have worked closely with the Chamber over the years to understand and recognise the needs of the local business community.

“We've seen a lot of change in the last 14 years, from the opportunities created by the introduction of Combined Authority Mayors to the challenges of navigating Brexit, Covid-19, the energy crisis and the rising cost of doing business.

“Now businesses need to see a sense of urgency and ambition from our new Government in reinvigorating the UK economy backed by a clear plan for creating the conditions for businesses to upscale and grow at every stage of their journey.

“We will continue to champion the recommendations of the Business Commission West Midlands to support this.

“Most of all, businesses want clarity, stability and predictability in Government decision making as the essential foundation for building confidence and incentivising investment.”

Raj Kandola, director of external affairs at the GBCC, said strong and decisive leadership will be required to tackle some of the issues facing business.

He added: “It’s clear the new Government will be inheriting major challenges – acute fiscal pressures, stagnant growth levels, low levels of investment and a prosperity gap between the north and south of the country that shows few signs of narrowing.

“Within this context, there will be no honeymoon period for the incoming administration – businesses will need to see a clear plan of action that will drive investor confidence and prosperity from the outset.

“In particular, strong and decisive leadership will be required from the new Prime Minister to shift the dial on devolution, ease firm level cost pressures, harness technology to improve public services, strengthen our infrastructure networks and cultivate strong trading ties with Europe and further afield – all of which aligns with the recommendations that were put forward by the Business Commission West Midlands.  

“As always, the GBCC will be on hand to act as the voice of Greater Birmingham businesses and will work with the Government to ensure our region remains the best possible place to start and grow a business.”

Check out the Chamber’s General Election Hub and read our blog about what Labour’s manifesto means for business.