NW firms take message from ‘shop floor’ to No 10 on new Business Council
North West business is represented on the latest Prime Minister’s Business Council, appointed for 2024.
The new council comprises: BT Group, Nationwide, Unilever, Rolls-Royce, Scottish Power, Almac Group, Barratt Developments, ITV, Lloyds Banking Group, OMass Therapeutics, Raspberry PI, Principality Building Society, Informed Solutions, Castore and Greggs.
Business with strong North West links include Castore, Informed Solutions, Unilever and Scottish Power.
Manchester-based sports brand Castore provides sportswear across the Premier League, England Cricket, rugby union and F1.
CEO, Tom Beahon, said: “It is a real honour to be joining the Prime Minister’s 2024 Business Council.
“I look forward to working with the PM and other business leaders from across the UK and making a positive contribution to the country’s long term economic growth priorities with a particular focus on bringing my experiences of starting and growing a business in the North of England.”
Elizabeth Vega, CEO of Altrincham-based digital transformation specialist, Informed Solutions, said: “If we can shape great policy that builds great businesses, then we can also shape an economy that encourages and incentivises UK entrepreneurs, SMEs, and scale-up companies to build the successful mid-sized, large businesses and exporters of the future.
“Great policy that encourages SMEs to invest and grow will create skilled employment opportunities across local communities – businesses that more willingly adopt technology will increase the UK’s competitiveness, productivity, and resilience, and businesses that come together in hubs and clutters will build stronger more competitive industries. Great businesses also effectively support and give back to the communities from which they grow.”
Glasgow-based Scottish Power is the distribution network operator for Central and Southern Scotland, Merseyside, North Wales and parts of Cheshire and Shropshire.
Its CEO, Keith Anderson, said: “The Prime Minister has set out clear ambitions to significantly speed up investments in the critical infrastructure we need to deliver energy security and decarbonisation.
“From clean homegrown energy to modern electricity networks, ScottishPower has a £12bn plan to invest at record levels to help make these ambitions a reality – creating the conditions for wider economic growth in the UK and unlocking skills and capabilities right across the domestic supply chain and in communities throughout the whole country.”
Consumer goods and foods group, Unilever, operates a key home and personal care manufacturing site and research and development facility at Port Sunlight, Wirral.
The council will have a regular meeting with the Prime Minister in Downing Street to share intelligence directly from the shop floor to help boost the UK economy and create jobs. The first meeting will take place this month.
The Minister for Enterprise, Markets & Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake, and the PM’s Special Advisor on Business & Investment, Franck Petitgas, will also host quarterly meetings in Downing Street with small business representative groups.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Coming from a small business family, I know how integral business is to communities and the wider economy.
“Without the jobs, growth, and innovation created by UK firms, the country simply wouldn’t function.
“That’s why I’m getting businesses in for a regular update on how well we are doing in delivering for business – straight from the shop floor.”
