With one week to go until the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget on 26th November, East Midlands Chamber has set out the three measures that must be included to combat ‘fragile confidence, hesitant investment and stalled growth’.
The three asks follow engagement with the East Midlands business community and analysis of research findings from the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey across 2025.
Summary of East Midlands Chamber’s 3 Budget asks:
- Tax and Regulation Reform – simplify processes, stabilise policy and target incentives where they will drive growth
- Skills and Workforce Development – ensure apprenticeships, vocational training and adult skills are properly funded and accessible
- Accelerated Delivery of the Industrial Strategy – the Industrial Strategy, launched in 2025, must move rapidly into implementation, backed by funding, with clear milestones and guaranteed access for SMEs to procurement opportunities
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “East Midlands firms need this Budget to deliver stability, ease the incredibly tough challenges they have faced for too long and incentivise investment.
“While inflation may have eased slightly to 3.6%, that will give little comfort to business when the overall picture across 2025 – clear across the data in our Quarterly Economic Surveys as well as the Chamber’s direct engagement with firms – is one of fragile confidence, hesitant investment and stalled growth.
“In 2025, the survey has continually revealed data like weaker performance of sales and orders at home and overseas; firms revising downwards their expectations of increased profitability and turnover; fluctuating recruitment with a fall in hiring intention; cashflow pressure and subdued investment in plant, machinery and training.
“Insight with our members has highlighted the need for reform of taxation and regulation, for much better communication of government plans and for the industrial strategy to get moving.
“26th November is an opportunity to place business front and centre and I urge the government to adopt the three key asks we have clearly outlined, to ensure the Budget delivers growth.”
To view East Midlands Chamber’s 3 Asks for the Autumn Budget 2025 in full click here
