2025 Annual Conference: confidence, choices and partnership for growth

For the list of speakers and their job titles, please see the bottom of the article.

At this year’s CBI Annual Conference, there was a sharp focus: how to move the UK from a stop-start economy to one built on confidence, stability and long-term growth.

Across the day, speakers returned to five big themes: stability and hard choices, investment and infrastructure, the UK’s place in a divided world, health and participation in the workforce, and the power of partnership between government and business.

Stability, hard choices, and the case for confidence

Opening the conference, Rain Newton-Smith set out a clear challenge just days before the Autumn Budget: if growth is the goal, it’s time to make hard choices and stick to them.

Her core message was that growth and stability are inseparable. After years of uncertainty, shifting policy and the tax rises at the last Budget, the renewed uncertainty ahead of this Budget makes business feel like we’re “stuck in Groundhog Day.” Business wants to invest, but it needs credibility: a tax and regulatory system that rewards risk-taking, a long-term approach to energy costs, and a genuine partnership on reforms such as the Employment Rights Bill.

The ask of government was direct: prove that growth is the priority, by avoiding short-term tinkering and working with business “to fix what’s broken” – from planning and infrastructure to energy and skills.

Politics, partnership, and the role of business

From the Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP to the Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, political voices across the spectrum recognised that economic growth must once again be the UK’s central mission.

Kyle emphasised the government’s focus on education, skills, a healthy workforce, and transport as the foundations of growth – and set out plans to streamline regulators, cut red tape and support high-potential firms through institutions such as the British Business Bank. His message to the room was collaborative: “We don’t intend to do it to you, but we will do it with you.”

Badenoch, meanwhile, warned of the risks of over-regulation and highlighted business concerns about the Employment Rights Bill, arguing that the UK needs “more people in work, more investment, more experts, more risk-taking – not more rules.”

Daisy Cooper MP cautioned that post-Brexit barriers, rising costs and red tape are weakening UK competitiveness. She called for an improved UK-EU deal, stronger backing for scale-ups and a more welcoming environment for wealth creators.

In a member Q&A, Zia Yusuf stressed the urgency of tackling high energy costs and competing in a world where other countries are rapidly expanding their energy capacity.

The consistent thread: the government knows it cannot deliver growth alone, and business is ready to shoulder responsibility – but it wants to be heard, not just taxed.

Investment, infrastructure, and the UK’s competitiveness

Investment was a common thread through the day’s discussions. In the fireside conversation on attracting global capital, speakers highlighted both the UK’s strengths and the urgency of delivery.

There was clear optimism: “There is no shortage of people wanting to invest in this country,” said Lord Stockwood, pointing to the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy and the opportunities across infrastructure and innovation.

Tracy Brabin underlined how devolution is helping regions compete on the global stage, while Andrew Dudley pointed to data centres as an area where UK capabilities are already seen as European-leading.

Anthony Ainsworth warned that UK business energy costs – three to four times higher than in the US or Canada – are driven largely by non-energy charges. He called for a dedicated vehicle to support long-term investment in the energy transition.

But delegates also heard that strategies and summits are just the starting point. Polling in the room showed that delivering major infrastructure projects remains the single most important “big bet” government can make to attract global investment – closely followed by scaling tech and R&D, reducing the tax burden and streamlining regulation.

Later, the Industrial Strategy panel returned to these themes. Energy costs, access to capital, and planning reform were identified as critical barriers. Businesses need predictable frameworks and faster, clearer routes from ambition to built projects. As Dame Clare Barclay DBE noted, major global investments are already being committed to the UK – but execution, pace, and certainty will determine whether the full opportunity is realised.

Competing in a more divided world

The global context was never far from view. In a panel on whether global business can thrive in a divided world, speakers acknowledged the realities of geopolitical volatility, protectionism, and post-Brexit frictions.

Daisy Cooper MP highlighted the cumulative impact of new trade barriers, regulatory complexity and energy costs on competitiveness, arguing that improving the UK-EU deal could unlock a significant boost to growth. Business leaders pointed to supply chain disruption and the need to invest in resilience, as well as efficiency.

Sean Doyle stressed the importance of playing to the UK’s strengths and avoiding “addressing yesterday’s problems with today’s legislation”, while Kate Rowbotham warned that the UK risks becoming uncompetitive in life sciences if it doesn’t match its scientific strengths with an innovation-friendly environment.

Despite the challenges, delegates were not ready to give up on openness. A live poll showed that a strong majority still see openness as a source of strength – provided the economy adapts.

Health, participation, and unlocking the UK’s potential

The link between health, work, and growth was brought into sharp focus in the “Health = wealth” session. With long-term ill health and economic inactivity costing over £100bn in lost productivity, speakers argued that no growth strategy can succeed without a healthier, more resilient workforce.

Sir Charlie Mayfield set out the scale of the challenge, from young people disengaging from the labour market to the lifetime costs of preventable inactivity. He warned that fear – of saying the wrong thing, or of being labelled a risk – often prevents early intervention, both for employers and employees.

Business leaders shared practical insights on what works: investing in workplace health, creating cultures where colleagues can speak up, and recognising that “it’s much easier to keep people in work than get them back into work”. Medicines and health technologies, as Christopher Stokes argued, are not only clinical solutions – they are economic ones too.

For members, the message was clear: supporting workforce health is not just a moral imperative; it’s a core economic strategy.

A stronger business voice for a more challenging decade

Closing the conference, Rupert Soames reminded delegates that business is “the strong horse that pulls the whole cart” of the UK economy – but that horse needs a stable fiscal environment, coherent regulation, and a government that matches words with actions.

Across the day, one message stood out: confidence comes from stability, but also from hope and delivery. The UK stands at a crossroads, but with business, government and partners working together, delegates left with a renewed sense that the UK can move from a cycle of doubt to a path of sustained, shared growth.