As the dust begins to settle on another Budget from the Chancellor, the business view is that all-in-all it was rock-solid.
The Budget recognised the enormous contribution enterprise has made to balancing the UK’s books in recent years through jobs, pay and tax - and the Chancellor has listened to many of the ideas that firms have made on how to future-proof our economy.
It was great to see the inclusion of new investment in rural broadband, research, housing and infrastructure that will help tackle the UK’s glaring regional equalities head on. Poor internet access can be make-or-break small enterprises outside of urban areas, while a CBI survey last year showed that over half of businesses are dissatisfied with the state of infrastructure in their region.
While investing is vital, there will be no progress without also investing in our people. Firms are aware of the need to develop skills for the future, and high-quality apprenticeships play a critical role. But the current apprenticeship levy system is not working. It looks like progress is being made on much-nee
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