At this year’s Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, the CBI hosted a panel event in partnership with the BVCA.
The fringe event assessed the need for business and government partnership and the importance of regional development and was chaired by The Telegraph’s Chief Political Correspondent, Christopher Hope. Other panellists included:
- Tim Hames, Director General, BVCA
- Andy Street, Metro Mayor for the West Midlands
- Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, Director-General, CBI
The need for partnership between business and government
Kicking-off proceedings, CBI Director-General, Carolyn Fairbairn, set out the case for the partnership of the century between government and business. Against the backdrop of ongoing Brexit uncertainty, strengthening economic headwinds and stagnating productivity growth, Carolyn argued that by working together, business and government could build an economy that is not only more prosperous, but also fairer.
With Andy Street, Mayor for the West Midlands, sat alongside Carolyn, she emphasised that the relationship between the government and business, begins at a local level. However, Carolyn also recognised that the onus was not solely on government, and that business has a part to play. By
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