Hold on to your hats as election drama ramps up – Chamber boss

Buckle up – we’re in for six weeks of wall-to-wall General Election coverage, writes Henrietta Brealey.

It’s going to be hard hats and high-vis galore as prospective parliamentary candidates pop up everywhere from factory floors to shopping centres and seaside towns, vying for the media’s attention and attempting to win our votes.

Yes, after months of endless speculation, the nation is heading to the polls following last week’s announcement from a rain-soaked Rishi Sunak outside 10 Downing Street.

And the main political parties have wasted little time in getting down to work, hitting the campaign trail almost immediately following the announcement of the 4^th July ballot.

On the whole, it’s fair to say the business community will be feeling a sense of relief that a relatively long period of uncertainty surrounding the election d-day is finally over – even if the Prime Minister did catch us all a little by surprise.

There is still plenty for us all to digest ahead of the crunch polling day – from candidate selections through to the release of those all-important manifestos.

As an apolitical organisation, the team at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce are preparing to review the pledges from across the political spectrum.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be forensically examining the respective parties’ plans for driving economic growth in the West Midlands and beyond and briefing our members which what it all means for business.

Needless to say, it should make for interesting reading.

What will the respective parties have to say about plans for turbocharging growth?

How do they intend to give local businesses the confidence needed to prosper across key areas such as skills, international trade and innovation?

How does the next government intend to tackle some of the long-standing issues at a regional level?

Central to our work will be the findings and recommendations of the Business Commission West Midlands. Convened to deliver a roadmap for unlocking business growth, we released the final report just two months ago, coinciding with the start of the West Midlands Mayoral election campaign. It was based on evidence received from hundreds of West Midlands businesses. We’ve already been taking it on the road, engaging with leading politicians on the key findings.

There are 32 recommendations of the Commission that are aimed squarely at national government, however it’s the overarching themes that I’ll personally be using to measure up how the parties vying to be our next government plan to meet the needs of businesses. These are:

1. The public funded business ecosystem is too fragmented, complex and ambiguous for businesses to effectively navigate. We need longer term thinking, better strategic coordination, simpler structures and support aligned to local businesses’ needs. Devolution can play a critical role in making this work, and tailoring support to business need, at a regional level.
2. Businesses need to see a sense of urgency and ambition. Many of the issues outlined in the BCWM are longstanding. We’re seeing bold moves and statements of intent with the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA and the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan alongside huge shifts in emerging economic powerhouses. We need comparable vision, direction and action to set the course for UK industries.
3. We need to create the conditions for businesses to upscale and grow at every stage of their journeys. Attracting international investment is always welcome. However, clear action is needed to ensure today’s businesses are able to progress from start-up to scale-up and through to international significance - right here in the UK. We’ll be watching out for an understanding of the barriers to growth, which are outlined in the reports of the Business Commission West Midlands, and intervention needed for creating that environment to enable business growth.

Whoever takes the keys to No.10 on 5^th July will need to address real challenges, but also has a huge opportunity to shift the dial.

While we’ll (quite rightly) be focusing on what the election means for businesses at the Chamber, from a personal point of view - it’s not “businesses” that vote - it’s people. And a lot of people I speak to from all over the political spectrum are…not necessarily the most enthused with politics right now. We have had a lot of it in recent years.

But this election could not be more critical in terms of defining the future of the UK as the world rapidly changes around us.  So please, whoever you vote for, get up and out and vote on the 4^th July. At the risk of sounding a little bit preachy, democracy lives or dies through participation (or the lack of it). While “just one vote” might feel small, its the culmination of thousands of “just one votes” that will decide whose vision will shape the future of the country.

So, hold on tight to those seat belts, and remember your voter ID – it’s going to be quite the ride.

Henrietta Brealey is chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

This column first appeared in the Birmingham Post