East Midlands Chamber has welcomed priorities set out in the Chancellor’s Mais lecture, which focused on investment in AI, in regional economies and bringing closer EU alignment.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “The Chancellor set out compelling measures aimed at achieving growth, like investment in AI initiatives and adoption, reduction of international trade barriers by having closer alignment with the European Union and investment in regions of the UK, all of which are pillars that would enable growth.
“AI will play a critical role in business going forward and it is right to invest in its development and take-up, just as it is to take measures to overcome the many challenges for those that import and export goods overseas by strengthening the relationship with the EU.
“While regional investment is good to hear, the Chancellor’s lecture neglected some golden opportunities to enable growth in the East Midlands, like the need to upgrade much of the region’s transport infrastructure, for example. Investment should benefit the whole East Midlands, not just part of it.
“The Chamber’s Framework for Growth outlines ways to best unlock the full potential of the East Midlands, across areas like infrastructure and connectivity, reforms to planning, to rates, to taxation and skills investment but it was encouraging to hear a credible step forward to growth.”
View East Midlands Chamber’s Framework for Growth in full here.
