Chamber Network meets with Chancellor – with skills, planning and national grid top of the agenda

July 5, 2023

Following a meeting of Chamber Chief Executives and business representatives with the Chancellor this morning, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“It was incredibly useful to connect Chamber Chief Executives and the businesses they represent with the Chancellor today to lay out their experiences on the ground.

“It was encouraging to see the Chancellor listening so intently to discussions around unlocking the potential for greater investment in our local areas as well as the importance of getting UK businesses back to growth.

“Businesses are realistic and understand the challenges and limited resources of Government. They brought pragmatic solutions to the table this morning, that won’t be a drain on the Chancellor’s finances.

“The Chancellor heard the Chamber network’s calls on three main issues; utilising planning for growth, sorting out the national grid queuing system and tackling the UK’s tight labour market.

“More must be done to unlock the planning system at pace, to help firms seeking to invest and to build new facilities.

“Additionally, without an efficient national grid which supplies businesses with the energy capacity they need, as well as enough workers to fill empty jobs, the potential for growth will continue to be limited.

“We also heard this morning that Investment Zones are a fantastic opportunity for the public and private sectors to unlock growth together.

“It’s by having conversations like these that we can work with Government to make a real difference for firms on the frontline of the economy and give them the tools they need for success.”