Bristol MP appointed to new role in Labour Government

A Bristol MP has been appointed to a key role in the new government.
Darren Jones has been appointed to Chief Secretary to the Treasury in the new Labour government.
Darren Jones grew up in Lawrence Weston in Bristol and later went on to be elected as an MP for Bristol North West in 2017.
He was reelected in the election and has now been called up by Sir Keir Starmer to work as second-in-command under Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
He will attend cabinet in his new role.
At the start of his parliamentary career he proclaimed himself as “the first ever Darren” to be elected to the House of Commons.
Theo Chatha, chief financial officer, at Bibby Financial Services, has called on the Government to back business.
He said: “The Labour party now has an opportunity to drive economic growth through the UK’s resilient small and medium sized business community, and to support them in boosting output. But first, they must address key areas of concerns for SMEs, and access to finance is an area that requires attention.
“We know that for many SMEs, high street banks remain the first and only port of call, so there’s a strong opportunity for Labour to increase competition in the commercial lending sector and to enable SMEs to access a wider range of options.
“That’s why we were encouraged to see Labour commit to strengthening the British Business Bank’s Bank Referral Scheme in January. But clearly, more still needs to be done to make it work effectively. Despite much effort from the British Business Bank and the designated platforms and lenders, the number of businesses the scheme has supported since its launch in 2016 has been hugely disappointing.
“We would urge this government to develop a new scheme that includes input from a wider array of SME funders and commercial finance brokers, to ensure that the initiative delivers for SMEs. This would ensure Labour gives SMEs more choice and agency over how they finance themselves to grow and thrive.”
Lauren Carlyle, practice leader for Grant Thornton in the South West, said: “While it’s simple to say that business growth needs to be a priority, the realities of boosting GDP figures are clearly easier said than done in the current climate. Fortunately, the South West region has plenty of strengths to build on that will help make the most of the opportunities that are out there. Bristol is a thriving hub of innovation and tech while the region has a skilled and dynamic talent pool as well as investors keen to support the many promising companies based here.
“Under the new Government we know that local businesses would like to see a focus on further devolution of powers for local leaders across the UK, along with measures to support businesses’ transition to net zero and international trade. The business community as a whole would welcome a period of stability and to be able to operate in a competitive but fair tax and regulatory environment. We wish the new government every success in addressing these issues and encourage it to collaborate closely with business.”