Chamber Team Heads to House of Commons

House of Commons

The latest of the regular quarterly briefings with the Greater Manchester MPs has taken place this week.

Top of the list for discussion were the latest results of the QES, and following January’s briefing, a closer look at the current state of affairs within the retail sector.

The briefing, held in the House of Commons, was attended by a third of the area’s MPs which, considering a hectic business schedule in the Commons and Lords, was a good indicator of the value of these meetings.

After delivering the findings of the QES report and with the focus firmly fixed on retail, the discussion quickly turned to what the future strategy for the high street should be.

This is a complex multi-layer issue as previous discussions have shown, and it seems that the answer does not lie with a return to previous models, but a new model is required with potentially fewer retail outlets but still driven by business.

With town centre flagship stores now relocating to out of town shopping centres, the rise of the superstore convenience stores the future is far from certain. That should not deter further discussion and action and we will return to this in the future.

Other issues on the agenda included the Greater Manchester Strategy consultation, which the Chamber will be inputting into. The subject of a business bank, house building and connected transport policies were also raised - all major issues recently discussed at Chamber Council meetings.

With the next election still two years away, there was an agreement to start to look now at what business-friendly policies the political parties should be considering and a request for more direct contact with business.

Plans are being worked on to make this happen so that our members can have greater connection with their MP and as soon as we have confirmed this activity, we will let you know.

For more information, contact chris.fletcher@gmchamber.co.uk