Positive, Progressive… and Bold
Date published:
The Chamber’s latest column for The Journal, by Policy and Representation Director Rhiannon Bearne
Last week, the Chamber Policy Team, like so many other organisations, worked flat out to get our spring Budget submission into government. Despite the last minutes hitches – note to self, always check the file size limits! – we delivered a strong submission down to the work of our fantastic team and our brilliant members.
Your Chamber has been working on behalf of businesses and organisations right across the North East for over 200 years. In that time we have lobbied on everything from taxes and businesses rates, global investment and trade and transport and connectivity.
But 2023 is very different to 1815. In fact, it’s quite different to just a few years ago when energy prices were low, inflation felt like a thing of the past and the cost of living was rarely followed by the word ‘crisis’. So this year our calls on the Chancellor and the Prime Minister have to look very different too.
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently described the four E’s that were part of his new policy agenda – enterprise, education, employment and everywhere, an attempt to capture Levelling Up and the need to make regions and places across England more equal and fair. At the Chamber we have taken the Chancellor’s lead and added three E’s of our own – energy, export, and crucially, everyone.
It’s that last E – everyone – that shows how the business community and its partners in the public and voluntary sectors are adapting and evolving. It’s no exaggeration to say that, in the course of consultation and conversation with our members across all sizes and scales of organisation, every single one has brought up people and participation as a priority.
For some companies it’s the nuts and bolts of staff shortages and recruitment gaps. For others its about older workers or people with caring responsibilities and how they can flex their working practices to keep great people in their businesses. Lots of members talked about how the childcare market is not working for families or the economy – costs are too high and pay is too low. So we have made practical recommendations to fix this. We have also called for an expansion of the mid-life health and work MOT programme for employees in all SMEs and investment in occupational health, with a strong focus on mental health. All of which we know will maximise the contribution of everyone in the North East. These practical, focussed ideas for action will make sure economic growth and participation includes everyone in society – a goal we and the government can all get behind.
I am incredibly proud to work for an organisation and in a region where we aren’t afraid to be positive, progressive and bold in our calls to government. 2023 is very different to 1815. But by adapting and evolving we can stay more relevant than ever.