Member Article

Warwickshire MP says business need more help until normality returns

Businesses will need more support from Government until life returns to normal, a local MP has told firms in Warwickshire.

Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, spoke to companies on the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest #PolicyHour call ahead of the new tier system coming into force.

He said that the positive news around vaccines had given hope to businesses and individuals but that more help would be needed until such a time that they could be rolled out to the whole country.

Mr Western said: “There is good news on the horizon and the developments we have seen in recent weeks are very exciting. The Oxford vaccine is particularly exciting because it is easier to store and distribute.

“But, until such time that a vaccine is completely proven and ready to go, I believe we are going to be in a cycle of lockdowns and other restrictions.

“That means businesses are going to need more support to help get them through this. They also need to be able to continue operating unless what they are doing has an adverse effect on health.”

He also welcomed the arrival of the ‘Megalab’ in Leamington and said it highlighted the need to maintain strong levels of employment land in the region.

“I am really proud of that decision,” he said. “It says something very positive about our region. When Wolseley closed it could have easily been turned into houses but it’s such a fantastic piece of employment land and I always believed it could provide high quality jobs for local people.

“It’s a reminder of just how important it is to have a good stock of employment land in the region.”

Sean Rose, policy officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms on the call had found it an engaging #PolicyHour event.

He said: “We are grateful to Matt Western for joining us on our latest #PolicyHour call – they have proven to be extremely popular since the beginning of the crisis, giving businesses a direct line to decision makers at a local, regional and national level.

“Of course, the response to Covid-19 was the hottest topic but it was good to look at other issues such as the need for more employment land – something which the Chamber has been calling for over many years.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .