Businesses welcome Prime Minister’s focus on growth

BUSINESSES in the West Midlands have welcomed the approach taken by Prime Minister David Cameron to encourage private sector growth.

During his speech to the annual conference of the CBI Mr Cameron said it was vital that Government supported the private sector in every way possible if entrepreneurs were to create the jobs and wealth that would sustain the country in years to come.

Angela Maxwell, managing director of Acuwomen and a board member at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Broadly speaking we should welcome any plans that look to create the right conditions for enterprise and for key growth sectors to flourish.

“The CBI speech picked out some key statement decisions, but the proof will be in how the policy is transferred into the commercial world. Crucially, we need to make sure support is not developed so it becomes too complex and turns business off.”

She said the £200m funding for Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs) marked an important strategic move in making the most of one of the UK’s greatest assets, its world class research and development base, which is well represented in the West Midlands.

“If we can harness all of the excellent ideas and new technologies born in academia and then successfully extract them into commercial reality we will have a very powerful business advantage that can be exported right across the world.

“Time will tell where these new centres will be based, but I would encourage the Government to look at our great region as a viable contender,” she added.

Tony Hague, managing director of PP Electrical Systems in Cheslyn Hay, said it was vital that support was forthcoming for sectors such as manufacturing as these would create the wealth moving forward.

“Government – and the whole country – needs to wake up and at last recognise that the only way this country of ours can generate wealth is through manufacturing,” he said.

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He said the Prime Minister’s stance on building exports was also the right approach while the focus for growth had to be on encouraging SMEs.

“UK manufacturing is dominated by SMEs – the focus needs to be on supporting these smaller, specialist companies who collectively provide the way out of this financial mess,” he added.
Deb Leary, chief executive of Forensic Pathways in Tamworth, said she supported Mr Cameron – in particular for the focus on growth.

In his speech, the Prime Minister said the Government review would take in everything from “bank lending to skills, green tech to high tech, competition to innovation, international trade to local growth” would be put under the microscope.

“That forensic, relentless focus on growth is what you will get from this government,” he said.

Ms Leary said: “‘Forensic’ now there’s a word not used often in a political speech, but it is one that David Cameron has used and it’s an excellent word to depict what needs to be undertaken in order to promote this country and to change the global perception of who we are.  

“A forensic investigation and reconstruction of UK trade and its place within the global market.  As with any forensic investigation one has to unpick the events, the twists and turns, the dead ends and reconstruct the story.”