Doncaster Chamber believes Government missed a vital opportunity to show that it understands the plight of businesses in the North.
It’s says the speech contained comparatively little in the way of new policy proposals to reassure businesses in places like South Yorkshire. Said Frank Horsley, Head of Policy and Partnerships at Doncaster Chamber: “In fact, while the speech did outline some laudable ambitions for the UK — in terms of stimulating economic growth, bringing down inflation and creating new jobs — it failed to articulate exactly how these goals will be achieved.”
the day before the speech Doncaster Chamber published a wish list of key asks that, if implemented, would have allow government to show that they truly understand the needs and wants of firms on the ground. “Given that nothing specific was announced, and that the speech was generally lacking in fresh ideas, the Chamber is now arguing that an opportunity has been missed and is therefore urging Government to provide further detail as soon as possible, to help provide confidence during such difficult economic times,” added Mr Horsley.
“Although the King’s Speech is not intended to go into forensic detail with any legislative plans, and we still have an Autumn Statement on the horizon, this was nevertheless an underwhelming look at Government’s ambitions for the coming months and we will continue to press them for concrete initiatives that will positively support our businesses in Doncaster.
“Now is the time for bold policies that will help firms get through these challenging times. In the face of great upheaval and assorted macroeconomic headwinds, our business communities have weathered a fierce storm over the past few years and really impressed us with their grit, resilience and determination.
“Yet they still need to know that Government has their best interests at heart. With that said, today’s King’s Speech could have, and should have, gone a lot further to assure them of this.
“There were some encouraging references to things like: increasing high quality apprenticeships; investing in emerging industries; and regenerating towns, but not enough clarity on how these various aspirations will be realised or funded. For example, the speech failed to explain how funding from the cancelled HS2 project will be reinvested into the North’s transport infrastructure, beyond a vague commitment to delivering faster and more reliable journeys.”
