“After Brexit, after Covid, and after COP, the UK must – and can – build the most competitive, dynamic and future-focused economy in the world. With business at the heart of social progress and acting in the service of the nation.”
“Now more than ever, flexibility and compromise are needed from both sides to reach lasting trade solutions, securing peace and prosperity. With good political will a landing zone can undoubtedly be found so that GB-NI trade flows are smoothed.”
17 May 2022“Urgent action is needed to help alleviate the pressure facing businesses and communities across the UK. Putting pounds into the pockets of people facing hardship and stimulating business investment are two actions the government can take now that will help us to emerge from this crisis."
17 May 2022“At the CBI we think it’s vital that the Government moves on two fronts right away. The first is to help people facing real hardship now; it’s the moral underpinning of our economy and society. Recent surveys suggest more than one in 10 households have skipped – or had smaller meals – in the past month because of a lack of affordability, while around half a million more households are expected to face choices between heating and eating*. Putting pounds in the pockets of people struggling the most should not be delayed. Secondly; start stimulating business investment now – we will need to ensure that there is economic growth in the pipeline to avoid any downturn in our economy that could worsen or prolong the cost-of-living crisis."
16 May 2022“It’s clear that the most vulnerable households and energy-intensive businesses may need further support, so the government should keep this under review. But the only way to build a resilient economy, one that can withstand price shocks, is a relentless focus on growing productivity and potential output. Business is the solution to both, so should be adequately supported to invest and grow.”
09 Aug 2019“The focus on infrastructure, energy security, and skills all lay the foundations for sustainable, longer-term growth. And reaching for smarter, better regulation will ensure the UK remains world-leading in finance and put us at the front of the pack to make the most of emerging technologies. But alongside ambition, what’s needed now is a relentless focus on delivery. Ahead of the Autumn Budget, the Government should remain laser focused on unlocking the investment needed to grow the economy and address the cost-of-living crisis.”
10 May 2022“A core pillar of the CBI’s UK vision is for every nation and region to be globally competitive – this cannot be achieved by Government alone. Business innovation, expertise and finance will be essential components of a high growth, high productivity, high wage future economy."
10 May 2022“I look forward to working with CII on this new taskforce to strengthen our ties across trade, investment, climate and health as our countries recover from the twin shock of Covid and the Ukraine crisis.”
09 May 2022“Taking steps now to safeguard the economy can deliver pro-growth policies to secure our long-term prospects. We've got a real chance to push our economy forward if a newly formed Executive works together with business in a spirit of collaboration. What’s clear is that we cannot wait until later this year to deploy growth boosting measures”.
07 May 2022“While monetary policy is the appropriate first line of defence in tackling inflation, government needs to take further action to shore up the broader resilience of the UK economy. In the near-term, higher inflation will hit poorer households hardest, so support measures for this group will need to be kept under review. Over the longer-term, securing greener energy supply and a relentless focus on raising potential growth will bolster our ability to withstand shocks and further price pressures”
05 May 2022“This move will provide some relief to energy intensive firms which play a key role in the UK’s critical supply chains. The Government must now build on this package by actioning further support measures announced in the recent British Energy Security Strategy and providing wider cashflow support through the Recovery Loan Scheme.”
29 Apr 2022"Firms will welcome the £1bn new investment announcements in India, this is just scratching the surface of what can be achieved between the two countries across health and cutting-edge technology. More broadly, working together on an ambitious UK-India free trade agreement that slashes tariffs, improves the ability to move talent across borders as well as data, will be the crucial foundation for a deal that delivers for businesses."
21 Apr 2022“The energy-centric nature of inflationary pressures highlights the need to double-down on investment in green energy. Making homes and commercial buildings more energy efficient would help reduce demand and consumer bills. In the near-term, reducing policy costs for energy intensive industries and continuing support for low-income households will be essential in helping those worst hit.”
13 Apr 2022“With operational resilience becoming an ever more important priority for the sector, there is danger that a ‘wait and see’ approach may dampen growth prospects for the wider economy. A lack of preparedness for mainstream use of digital currencies and challenges in developing Net Zero plans suggest a need for swifter policy development in both areas to guide and stimulate industry-wide action.”
13 Apr 2022“It’s clear that growth impetus remains underwhelming. While the Government took some steps to sustain confidence in our economy in the Spring Statement, they don’t do enough to tackle the current challenges facing firms. The only enduring response to these is a relentless campaign for economic growth and productivity, through measures such as capital allowances, R&D reforms and a revised apprenticeship levy.”
11 Apr 2022"While it’s welcome this Strategy addresses some long-standing challenges, companies are continuing to really struggle with increased wholesale energy costs right now. The Government’s next step should be to provide immediate cashflow support for firms through the Recovery Loan Scheme – and move to cut bills for Energy Intensive Industries to maintain competitiveness."
06 Apr 2022"The Chancellor has taken steps to sustain confidence in our economy. They are welcome but don’t do enough to tackle the current challenges facing firms. We need concrete plans now on how we get new nuclear, hydrogen and onshore wind investment. We need more EV charging infrastructure deployed this year. We need post Brexit regulation changes that unleash the potential of our health, science and technology sectors."
23 Mar 2022“The more we find out about how P&O Ferries have handled this situation, the more it appears that proper process has not been followed. What is not in doubt is that the workers who have been fired have been treated abysmally. Our thoughts are with those people who have lost their jobs so suddenly. You can’t legislate for those companies who choose to wilfully ignore or break the rules. The Government will rightly be considering enforcing the law and workers may choose to challenge the fairness of their dismissals at employment tribunal.”
22 Mar 2022“This landmark legislation is important and necessary to keep people safe online – business wholeheartedly back this ambition. The goal should be to make the UK an international leader, not an outlier, in shaping the future of the internet. This is an incredibly complex set of regulations and businesses will be combing through the detail over the coming days. Ensuring the Bill is feasible for companies to implement is essential – they will work with policymakers to make that happen as the Bill moves through Parliament.”
17 Mar 2022“With ongoing conflict in Ukraine pushing global commodity prices higher and exacerbating supply chain disruption, the MPC are clearly making moves to counter growing inflation. But they will be walking a tightrope in the months ahead, having to both keep price pressures in-check and manage the impact of tighter monetary policy on economic growth – particularly against a background of rising living costs."
17 Mar 2022“The Parker Review has created a groundswell of action which has led to real results in the boardroom. Government needs to match business progress by bringing in mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting in the same way they have done for gender. Our Change the Race Ratio campaign exists to help businesses to improve, not only to measure their progress. I encourage all companies to sign up.”
16 Mar 2022“Businesses are keen to assist refugees arriving in the UK by working alongside ministers and civil society to help support and employ people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Firms will be looking closely at details of the new scheme to see how they can best support, including advertising it to their staff."
14 Mar 2022“Since the start of this crisis, the CBI has been guiding thousands of firms across the country to support economic sanctions on Russia and to get behind humanitarian efforts for people in Ukraine and for refugees. Convening its councils and roundtables across the UK, CBI members are supportive of sanctions, despite the real costs involved in doing so. The next phase must be finding our economic resilience, better ensuring our fate remains in our hands on this conflict and for the future.”
10 Mar 2022“That is the time to act if we want to push the economy onto a higher growth trajectory. It takes time for policies to kick in and deliver results, so there’s no point in waiting until an autumn Budget. Without serious action, we risk the economy simply drifting towards low growth once the V-shape bounce ends. The Government cannot waste a single moment."
01 Mar 2022“After almost two years, the Living with Covid strategy marks a significant step towards normality returning. The government now needs to add further guidance on issues like sick pay and employer liability to avoid the risk of a legal vacuum. Many firms will continue to be cautious and use extra measures to protect their staff and customers, as they have from the outset."
21 Feb 2022“The Chancellor’s super deduction exemplified the boldness in public policy that we need to inspire investment and get the economy moving. Going by our survey results, it looks to be a real success. It’s started the job but cannot be a one-hit wonder. Evolving the policy from short-term fix into long-term strategy will give firms confidence that Government and industry are aligned."
20 Feb 2022“I am hugely excited that Brian has been approved by the Board for consideration at the AGM to be the next CBI President. His career journey makes him an unmistakably authentic business leader who understands the challenges facing local SMEs and global listed firms alike. His typical Glaswegian candour combined with his experience in some of the most prestigious boardrooms in the corporate world will prove invaluable to CBI and our members as we work to help them grasp the exciting opportunities in the decade ahead.”
18 Feb 2022“The UK economy saw a lacklustre end to the year hit by the emergence of the Omicron variant and Plan B restrictions. While the worst of the impact appears to be over, firms are still grappling with supply shortages and cost pressures, while households are facing a looming cost of living crisis."
11 Feb 2022“The rise in the price cap was inevitable but will pile more pressure on squeezed household incomes. “The Government is right to focus on the most vulnerable customers but must urgently work in partnership with energy suppliers to ensure these measures are effective."
03 Feb 2022“The Levelling Up White Paper is a serious assessment of the regional inequalities which have hamstrung the UK’s economic potential for generations. It offers a blueprint for how government can be rewired and an encouraging basis for how the private sector can bring the investment and innovation to start overcoming those deep-rooted challenges, and power long term prosperity for every community, wherever they live."
02 Feb 2022“There’s a vital need now for greater consistency in how we live with the virus in the longer term. Swinging back and forth between restrictions and normality has been damaging."
19 Jan 2022“We’ve not seen the end of rising inflation yet. We expect it to peak in the months ahead, not least if, as expected, the energy price cap is raised.
19 Jan 2022“Implementing Plan B in December was the right thing to do, but with Covid clearly here to stay, the Government must now act to prevent the need for further restrictions on activity. This includes providing clearer forward guidance to support business adaptation, prioritising mass-testing over mass self-isolation, and ensuring that travel controls are proportionate so that the UK remains open to the rest of the world.”
14 Jan 2022
The CBI community responds to today's challenges
There’s been a lot said about the so-called great resignation over the last 12 months. After hosting a series of webinars on the topic, Irwin Mitchell's Jenny Arrowsmith can see it as an opportunity. Here's why.
We asked the CBI’s Thriving Regions & Nations chair Stephanie Hyde what more firms can do to help make it happen
Emily Hamilton of RS Components and Trans in the City talks to us about her experience as a business leader who transitioned at work and the importance of inclusion, visibility, and humanity in the workplace.
Pricecheck, an international distributor of fast moving consumer goods, shares its story on getting serious about exports and the benefits that have followed.
How Sharing Economy start-up Ailuna is using technology to drive behaviour change, within firms as well as among consumers.
Everything you need to know about why you should join the UN-led campaign, Race To Zero, and how to do it.
GoHenry and Wilson Wright asked CBI Economics to look at the key aspects of financial literacy, the benefits from improving it, and how government and business can go further to improve financial skills amongst children and young people.
The latest guidance for businesses on humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
What you need to know about the war in Ukraine: find updates, insight and resources for your business.
The CBI is calling for firms to join the new industry-led body that will champion the importance of services trade in the UK.
We cannot afford not to spend on growth, says CBI Director General Tony Danker.
Lord Bilimoria celebrates a bright future for a collaborative and competitive UK, in his speech to the CBI Annual Conference.
Nowhere can be left behind in the quest for economic growth, says CBI Director General Tony Danker.
