Advocacy update Matthew Jaffa, Policy and Public Affairs Director
Government’s priorities for the year ahead. The legislative programme will have repercussions for family businesses in every sector. Key measures including proposals to strengthen the UK’s trading position with Europe, tackling persistent late payments, expanding vocational education and apprenticeships, and refocusing regulators so they consider the impact of their decisions on growth and the economy. Additional Bills on energy independence and the introduction of a tourist tax, adding an additional burden to the hospitality sector, further highlight an evolving policy environment in which family firms must stand up.
Party Conference season
It used to be that the summer months were a quiet time to reflect and prepare for a busy autumn period. Not anymore! In the coming months, we will take our messages directly to all politicians. We will attend all the major Party Conferences, hosting events and engaging decision-makers to ensure the needs of family businesses are fully understood. We will also be working closely with our members to amplify this effort. Our goal is simple: to ensure that, together with our Members, when politicians make decisions about the economy they think, and act, family first. If you’d like to know more about our advocacy work, or to get involved, you can contact me via email at matthew.jaffa@familybusinessuk.org
horizon (some would say campaigning has already begun), the race to shape future policy is happening now. Against this backdrop, engagement with elected representatives is a priority for FBUK and an opportunity for all family businesses. Our Policy Agenda, which you can read about on the page opposite, is the platform on which we will do so in the months and years ahead. Take time to read it, download it and share it with those who are elected to represent your interests.
Less than two years after the Government swept to power with a landslide majority in Westminster, voters used May’s local, regional and devolved elections to register their unhappiness with the Government, the state of the country, politicians and political parties. In doing so, the political map of the UK has been redrawn and the UK’s traditional two-party system has been fragmented (although it is worth remembering that Labour still holds an enormous majority in Parliament). The rapid rise of Reform combined with gains made by the Green Party is painting a multi-coloured political map that signals an increasingly divided nation in which a multitude of voices are shaping policy at every level. With the next General Election on the
King’s Speech
Against the backdrop of political upheaval, His Majesty King Charles III has formally opened the next Parliamentary session setting out the
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