2025 policy plan: it’s time for GROWTH

After a difficult decade, the UK must grasp opportunities to lead the G7 in economic growth. As the government moves from Green Paper consultation to active delivery, we’re calling for a modern industrial strategy that embraces trade and foreign policy while prioritising innovation, sustainability, and collaboration across sectors. The CBI is engaging with all four UK governments to align their industrial strategies with business priorities.

Get involved: Contact Mark Goldstone to explore joining the UK Competitiveness Committee or read our Blueprint for UK Competitiveness. Contact Helena Coe to explore joining our Global Competitiveness Committee.

The CBI has heard from businesses of all sizes, sectors and nations that the planning system is stifled with long delays and bureaucratic procedures. It is adversely impacting the delivery of much needed housing and infrastructure, as well as holding back private investment. Following reforms to the in England, the CBI is calling for greater resources and capacity in Local Planning Authorities to process planning applications. The CBI is working with all four UK governments to address challenges with the planning systems in each nation.

Get involved: Contact Josh Male to join our Planning and Infrastructure Working Group. Read our Planning for Growth report to see the broader package of reforms we called for, including ring-fencing planning fees and piloting the use of Planning Hubs.

Across England, mayors play a vital role in ensuring a region is an attractive place to do business, and for inward investment. They contribute hugely to the delivery and success of Local Growth Plans. That's why we'll continue to work with the to advance the devolution agenda, support the delivery of Local Growth Plans in England, and help drive regional growth; ensuring each region is a great place to live, work, invest, and do business.

Get involved: Contact Simon Dishman to join our Regional Growth Working Group. Contact Josh Male to join our Planning or Infrastructure Working Groups.

This vital trading relationship must be delivered for business. With a review into the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) taking place in 2026, now is the moment to shape the government’s thinking on the UK’s most important trading partner. The CBI is working across all four UK nations to ensure businesses benefit from strong trade agreements.

Get involved: Contact Sean McGuire for policy updates on the CBI’s engagement in Europe, and Erin Henwood for CBI policy and government activity on global trade.

Recent global geopolitical shocks have made it more important than ever for the UK to have a strong relationship with Ireland as one of its closest trading partners. The UK remains the first export market destination for many Irish businesses, while the rapidly growing Irish economy has delivered immense trade and investment opportunities for UK firms. That’s why the CBI is calling for free and frictionless trade and policies that maximise economic benefits from cross-border collaboration.

Get involved: Contact Angela McGowan to explore joining one of our Northern Ireland Working Groups.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) announced its intention for a new Trade Strategy to work hand-in-glove with the Industrial Strategy – something the CBI has long called-for. We will collaborate closely with DBT to ensure the new Trade Strategy addresses the challenges faced by UK firms trading globally and responds to protectionist measures in our key markets for goods and services. The strategy will also include the latest progress on the UK’s Free Trade Agreements.

Get involved: Contact Erin Henwood to discuss the CBI’s latest policy activity on trade.

AI is a national priority, central to the UK’s plans for innovation, productivity and global competitiveness. To realise this ambition, the UK must get both regulation and skills right, ensuring businesses have clarity and confidence to adopt AI safely, and access to the talent needed to do so. With new government funding committed to AI skills, and work ongoing to shape the UK’s regulatory approach, the focus must now shift to delivery. The CBI is working with government and industry to ensure policy translates into practical support for AI adoption.

Get involved: Contact Shivani Gupta to join our AI and Data Protection Working Group.

Innovation must be at the heart of the UK’s growth strategy. With long-term R&D funding now committed, the focus must shift to ensuring it is used to greatest effect to unlock business innovation, attract private investment, and drive sustainable growth. That means working closely with government on the design and delivery of programmes and incentives – supporting business-led R&D, enabling innovation through effective regulation, and aligning wider policy levers to make the UK a global hub for innovation.

Get involved: Contact Nicola Eckersley-Waites to join the R&D Working Group.

Having delivered a roundtable with the Cabinet Office on national resilience, and with our position on DBT’s economic security and resilient growth group, the CBI will continue to shape the government’s approach to economic resilience. We’ll gather and share key industry insights on the role of government in dealing with systemic resilience challenges, such as cyber security, along with what is practically needed to help businesses boost their own operational resilience.

Get involved: Contact Helena Coe and Megan Bulford for an overview of the CBI’s latest engagement with government on economic resilience.

Our members are concerned about the long-term decline in liquidity in London markets due to structural, regulatory and market factors. We’re bringing together experts from across our listed members to develop strategic and policy recommendations aimed at attracting more capital to UK equity markets and ensuring the UK remains competitive for large company listings.

Get involved: Contact Tom Maitland to join the Capital Markets Working Group.

With gross public spending set at over £400bn, how – and where – this spend is deployed has the potential to be a driver of economic growth. With the government’s growth mission relying on private sector capital, the CBI will focus on policy levers related to risk sharing, contracting, and change management in the ongoing Procurement Act, as well as new approaches to procuring innovation. The CBI is working with all four UK governments to ensure businesses can access public procurement opportunities across the UK.

Get involved: Contact Nicky Williams for the latest CBI activity on procurement and Melissa McLaughlin for procurement of innovation.

The CBI has been calling for meaningful reform of the business rates system in England. The 2024 Autumn Budget announcement to tax businesses with rateable values of £500,000 and above is not a sustainable solution for an antiquated business rates system that our members tell us is too complex, unpredictable, and unfair. We continue to make the case to government for a system that better incentivises growth and investment, including a move to a progressive slice-based system of taxation.

Get involved: Contact Rahim Mohamed to join the Business Rates Working Group.

The CBI warned the government of the impact of increasing National Insurance Contributions (NICs) on employers. Our survey evidence shows businesses will cut investment plans, reduce headcount, move operations overseas and increase prices. That’s why we’re pulling together even stronger evidence – backed by granular YouGov data and our leading economic analysis – to campaign against further tax rises on business.

Get involved: Join our Employment Taxes Working Group by signing up here.

Inefficiencies in the delivery of HMRC’s services are slowing businesses down, producing excessive information requests and uncertainty on tax positions. The CBI is working with HMRC to prioritise business needs through a variety of measures including digitalising paper-based VAT forms, resolving legacy payroll tax system issues, speeding up R&D claim processing, and more.

Get involved: Join our Employment Tax, Indirect Tax, Innovation Tax, and Digital Tax working groups by signing up here.

The current tax system is unnecessarily complex – making it impractical for businesses to comply. We’re working with members to identify opportunities to de-clutter the UK’s ever-growing and complex tax code. We’ll connect with Treasury and HMRC officials to co-design areas of the tax system that can be simplified to streamline investment decisions, simplify contractor hiring, and efficiently manage employee expenses.

Get involved: Join our Tax Committee (spaces limited) and Employment Taxes Working Group by signing up here.

The recent unpredictable tax environment has disincentivised businesses to invest in the UK. The CBI will continue to advocate for structural tax reforms to boost investment in key areas that benefit the wider economy such as employee health, R&D, and net zero. We must build on the stability offered in the Corporate Tax Roadmap by getting political commitment to ensure tax rates and allowances remain predictable in the next Parliament. The CBI is working with all four UK governments to ensure the tax environments in each nation remain competitive.

Get involved: Join our Tax Committee (spaces limited), Innovation Taxes, and Employment Taxes working groups by signing up here.

Businesses feel that they are not being listened to by the government on new policy areas. The CBI will continue to call for meaningful engagement on key consultations such as e-invoicing, transfer pricing, new HMRC powers, tax certainty for major investment projects, R&D tax reliefs administration, payrolling of benefits, Business Rates reform, and more.

Get involved: Join our Tax Committee (spaces limited), Indirect Taxes, International Taxes, Innovation Taxes, Business Rates, and Employment Taxes working groups by signing up here.

Firms are concerned that the UK’s regulatory environment is negatively impacting investment and growth. The CBI has launched the Regulatory Reform Taskforce – a member-led initiative to shape policy, drive reform, and create a more effective regulatory framework that unlocks the UK’s full economic potential.

Get involved: Contact Alex Guest to explore joining the CBI’s Regulatory Reform Taskforce.

With most of the public consultation on the Plan to Make Work Pay reforms taking place later this year – and rollout not expected to start until next year – the CBI will continue to work with government to ensure the legislation delivers a landing zone that protects growth and investment. CBI Northern Ireland (NI) will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure the Good Jobs Bill also delivers the right outcomes to unlock business growth.

Get involved: Contact Laurence Raeburn-Smith to join our Employment Rights Bill Working Group - the go-to place for the latest insights on how the legislation will impact firms. Contact Claire Sullivan to join the People and Skills Network NI.

To ensure that the UK grasps the potential for productivity gains through technology, we are actively engaging with the Cross-Government Review of Technology Adoption and advocating for a National Tech Adoption Plan to support business adoption of technology in all sectors of the economy.

Get involved: Contact Melissa McLaughlin to express your interest in joining our Tech Adoption Working Group.

Skills is a core issue for businesses across all four nations of the UK. We are working closely with the government to ensure Skills England, the new body established to address England’s skills needs, can deliver a skills system that is genuinely responsive to business needs. This body will determine eligible spend for the new Growth and Skills Levy, which is due to replace the current Apprenticeship Levy. The CBI is also engaging with devolved governments and skills bodies – Northern Ireland Skills Council, Skills Development Scotland and Skills Wales – to ensure their policies deliver for business.

Get involved: Contact Evie Matthews to join our Education and Skills Working Group.

The National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage are increased each April based on the recommendations of the LPC. The CBI’s written and oral evidence to the LPC next summer will explain the impact of the 6.7% increase in April 2025 and how businesses expect to accommodate the next increase in 2026. Our evidence will draw significantly on the impact of the increasing cost of employment on investment and growth.

Get involved: Contact Laurence Raeburn-Smith to talk to us about the impact of the recommendations on your business.

Currently, energy costs are one of the top three themes in business feedback to the government's industrial strategy. Investing in clean energy not only enables businesses to manage their energy costs more effectively but also enhances their resilience to future price shocks. We are collaborating closely with national and devolved government departments to develop policies that will deliver competitive energy prices and support businesses in their efforts to decarbonise their operations.

Get involved: Contact Jonathan Oxley to get involved in our policy engagement work.

Delivering the UK’s clean energy agenda requires infrastructure to be built at scale and pace. Mission Control is a new initiative set up aimed at accelerating the build out of clean power, working alongside the National Energy System Operator and Ofgem to remove obstacles and identify solutions. We will be working with these stakeholders to ensure that the concerns of business are being addressed on issues such as planning, consenting, and connections.

Get involved: Contact Tia Magrath to join our Net Zero Working Group, or Josh Male to join our Infrastructure Working Group.

The scale of investment needed to achieve an economy-wide transition to net zero is colossal, and most of this investment will need to come from the private sector. The establishment of the National Wealth Fund and Great British Energy as public tools to attract private investment is a significant step forward. In addition to collaborating with these organisations to identify projects that are too costly to finance privately, we will also work with government departments to explore how green finance tools can support households and businesses in adopting decarbonisation technologies.

Get involved: Contact Jennifer Beckwith for the latest engagement on Great British Energy, and Conan McHugh on engagement with green finance tools for decarbonisation adoption.

With the government consulting on a raft of sustainable finance policy this year, from a UK green taxonomy to transition plans, we’ll be working hard to ensure any additional regulatory burden is truly mobilising investment and supporting the transition. This includes via the CBI’s role on the Transition Finance Council which will be the driving force for implementation of the transition finance market review recommendations.

Get involved: Contact Tom Maitland to join the Sustainable Finance Working Group

Business needs policy certainty and strategic direction if the UK is to hit net zero by 2050. As a delivery partner for the government’s Net Zero Council, we’ll be providing strategic insight to government to support policy development for the upcoming Net Zero Strategy as well as supporting the development and delivery of sector roadmaps, helping businesses to develop transition plans and investors to identify opportunities.

Get involved: Contact Jennifer Beckwith to engage with the Net Zero Council work programme, and Tia Magrath to join our Net Zero Working Group.