Member Article

Election Day: North West businesses are ready

Today is the day, time to go and put your vote to good use, the latest polls have suggested no party will win outright and one in seven voters are still undecided according to the BBC news.

There is no doubt that it is going to be an exciting election, but what does the election mean to business in the North West?

The main party leaders have been travelling across the UK in a last ditch attempt to bring in support from the undecided voters.

So are businesses leaning towards a particular party? When asked to comment many have declined to say who they want in power, and have instead focussed on what they would like to see as outcomes or areas focussed on.

Businesses in the North West have raised many concerns and given their opinions each week over the last month, with issues such as property supply and demand; internet connectivity; the need to focus on SMEs; skills shortages; the need for stability and the need for stability within energy prices all being raised by our business leaders over the last few weeks.

The Conservative pledge for the Northern Powerhouse where cities in the North of England have greater self determination is a major political issue.

The move to give Manchester control over its NHS budget and the planned HS3 route to strengthen ties between major cities in the North are two examples of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ plan.

The NHS in the North West has been in the news this week because of its budget deficits with millions of pounds not met by their incomes.

Labour have called it a ‘financial time bomb’ while the conservatives have said that they are committed to increasing NHS spending ‘every year’, UKIP have said it would fund the NHS by getting rid of what it calls NHS tourism, while the Liberal Democrats have said that they have committed to a ‘fully costed plan’ to allow for the £8bn a year that the NHS will need by 2020.

While the election takes place today UKFast’s Lawrence Jones MBE reminds businesses to think carefully about why they are voting, he said: “What concerns me with this election is the possibility that, as a nation, we will be instigating change for change’s sake, not because there is a real need for it.

“From a business point of view, the coalition government we currently have has been positive, and I think we need to stay the course in order to continue to grow Britain’s economy.

“There’s never been a better time to start up in business, but whether this will be the case by next week remains to be seen.”

Conrad O’Neill, director at Canning O’Neill said: “Whichever way the vote goes, the commercial property industry needs a Government that will implement policies to ensure a solid and stable economy, which allows sustainable, controlled economic growth. The commercial property sector is reliant on a strong economy but what we don’t want is irresponsible economic policies that encourage boom & bust. This way, commercial developers and landlords are able to create the offices that thriving businesses need, at affordable rents and sensible lease terms.

“We also need the Government to treat the North of England fairly. Although the long overdue business rates revaluation is now in hand and will spread the burden of rates more equitably across the country, we don’t want to see any more policies that protect the South East at the cost of the North. The Northern Powerhouse and DevoManc initiatives set in motion by the Coalition Government must not be allowed to lose momentum. The ability for the Regions to have more control over transport, planning and local finance is essential for a fairer and more efficient local economy.”

For more views pre-election have a look at our weekly election round ups:

Election 2015: North West businesses give their opinions

Election 2015: Merseyside businesses give their opinions

Election 2015: Lancashire businesses give their opinions

Do you want to comment on who you are voting for and why? Feel free to comment below or email sophia.taha@bdaily.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .