Last week, the government announced the launch of a consultation on its Industrial Strategy and new Advisory Council. It’s been seven years in the making and claims to create a pro-business environment. The Strategy will focus on eight key sectors, which offer the highest growth opportunity for the economy and business:
- Advanced Manufacturing.
- Clean Energy Industries.
- Creative Industries.
- Defence.
- Digital and Technologies.
- Financial Services.
- Life Sciences.
- Professional and Business Services.
We need your help to decide what it should look like. We recognise that consistent and reliable policy measures are the best way to ensure that businesses can plan effectively for the future.
The Industrial Strategy will play a pivotal role in the UK’s future growth agenda but it has to be clear on how it will maximise the country’s competitive advantage, as well as integrating the regional strengths of the different parts of the country. Digital Staffordshire and Green Staffordshire are two of the five themes within our Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce Manifesto and we need to ensure that digital innovation and green are at the front and centre of investment in infrastructure and skills.
Our British Chambers’ of Commerce (BCC) colleagues have called for the creation of a new supply chain taskforce, which will support future resilience. The pandemic and global conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have only served to highlight the UK’s reliance on global markets for energy, communications technology and manufacturing components.
This public consultation will inform the development of the new Industrial Strategy, as well as the government’s proposed plan to create long-term, inclusive, secure and sustainable growth. The final industrial strategy will be published in spring 2025. The government is keen to get the views of business and you have until the end of Sunday 24th November 2024, to join the consultation and share your views. Click here for further details:
Invest 2035: the UK’s modern industrial strategy – GOV.UK
The Industrial Strategy is sure to feature in upcoming meetings between our members and local Members of Parliament. It’s more than three months since the General Election and we’ve been working to connect our member businesses with the newly elected MP from across our patch. In recent weeks, we’ve met with Leigh Ingham (MP for Stafford), David Williams (MP for Stoke-on-Trent North) and Sir Gavin Williamson (MP for Stone, Great Wyrley & Penkridge).
During November, we’ll be meeting with Dame Karen Bradley (MP for Staffordshire Moorlands), Allison Gardner (MP for Stoke-on-Trent South) and Adam Jogee (MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme). In December, we’ll be meeting with Gareth Snell (MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central).
In our most recent ‘Meet the MP’ meetings, we’ve had some lively and constructive discussions around areas such as transport, skills, green infrastructure and energy. Any business can have a 1:1 meeting with their respective MP but joining your fellow Chamber member businesses, creates a real dynamism. Our Meet the MP meetings are open to Chamber members. Advanced booking is essential and you can book your place through the events page on our website:
Events from Mon 21st October – Fri 25th October – Staffordshire Chambers
