According to the legendary sprinter, Linford Christie, you should start a race as soon as you hear the “B” of the “Bang”. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition seem to have adopted that strategy as they have flown out of the blocks to signal the beginning of Election Year. A number of our Initiative members were in Emmerson’s Green to hear Sir Keir Starmer outline Labour’s broad approach, on the same day Rishi Sunak did likewise in the Midlands.

It’s interesting both leaders are often keen to speak to people in the business community, even though companies don’t have a vote. But Party leaders strive to be seen as being supportive of economic growth and they know the Government can’t achieve that on their own. They need the private sector to be successful but often have different concepts about how to help that happen.

No doubt in the coming months there will be much talk about the future of the economy and how to achieve sustainable, long term economic growth, but every announcement or pledge will have to be viewed through the prism of the election campaign and how they will be received by the electorate as a whole. 

This all spells for a period of uncertainty for business, which is never a desirable state of affairs. Strategic planning is a difficult process at the best of times, but it becomes much more complex as companies will need to try to work out the likely consequences of a range of policies, some of which will become reality and others which will never see the light of day, depending on the decisions of voters, most likely sometime in the autumn.

It’s a different story locally with one party having achieved a huge majority in a relatively recent election. Businesses only need to read the Liberal Democrats Manifesto to work out how they are going to approach the next few years, so they can make their arrangements with confidence. 

No Chamber of Commerce has any party political affiliation and we all work with whoever comes out on top in the democratic process, but we will make our case to all parties to ensure whoever forms the next Government understands the challenges facing business and what needs to be done to produce a thriving economy which will be to the benefit of all, whichever candidate they eventually vote for.