Staffordshire’s business community has marked MPs’ return to Westminster by setting out a nine-point Budget challenge to Government – including a call for no further tax rises, lower VAT for hospitality and major investment in the county’s infrastructure.
Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce submitted its Autumn Budget representation to Chancellor John Healey on Tuesday, September 1, with the document also sent to every Staffordshire MP. The Chamber represents more than 1,000 businesses across the county.
The intervention coincides with the first day of Parliamentary business following the summer recess, with MPs returning to the Commons on September 1.
At the top of the Chamber’s list is a demand for no further business tax increases, warning that rising employment, energy and policy-driven costs are already restricting investment and recruitment.
It is also calling for business rates reform and a reduction in VAT for hospitality to 10%, arguing that a sector worth more than £2 billion to Staffordshire’s economy continues to face pressure from food inflation, energy costs, recruitment difficulties and weaker consumer spending.
Chief executive Stuart Elford said the submission was ultimately about giving Staffordshire companies the confidence and conditions to invest.
He said: “Our overall message to Government is to create the right conditions for business growth through lower costs, targeted sector support, investment in infrastructure and skills, stronger export support and faster progress on devolution.”
Infrastructure is another major focus. The Chamber is pressing Government to commit to improvements along the A50/A500 North Midlands Manufacturing Corridor, which it says could help unlock 39,000 jobs and up to 67,000 additional homes by 2045.
It also wants action to make electricity grid connections faster and more affordable, saying some Staffordshire businesses are already capable of generating surplus renewable energy but face prohibitive costs when trying to connect to the grid.
Mr Elford said: “Key infrastructure projects have been held back for far too long. It’s time to press the accelerator pedal and press ahead with key infrastructure projects.”
Other Budget demands include faster progress towards devolution for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, replacement business support funding following the end of UK Shared Prosperity Fund programmes, reinstatement of the Local Skills Improvement Fund and greater support for exporters.
The Chamber also wants Government to review the cost implications of employment rights reforms, amid concerns over their impact on recruitment.
The submission comes ahead of Chancellor John Healey’s first Budget on October 28, with businesses and representative organisations currently being invited to make formal representations to the Treasury.
The Chamber’s message to Staffordshire MPs is clear: use the Budget to lower the barriers to investment and give the county’s businesses greater confidence to grow.
