In response to Chancellor John Healey’s party conference speech, East Midlands Chamber has renewed its call for the Autumn Budget to place business ‘front and centre’ to incentivise investment and unlock growth.
East Midlands Chamber Director of External Affairs Richard Blackmore said: “While business and the importance of industrialisation were a prominent theme in the Chancellor’s speech, striking the kind of chord we want to hear, sentiment must become action on 28th October. Firms will be eagerly looking to announcements made in the Autumn Budget on that day to alleviate pressure, incentivise investment and unlock growth.
“Placing apprenticeships high on the agenda was welcome to hear in the Chancellor’s speech, as well as acknowledgement of the sheer number of young people Not in Education, Employment or Training – NEET – and the need for that to be addressed.
“Prioritising skills is essential and cannot wait – it’s one of the key policy asks in the Chamber’s Framework for Growth – the landmark publication launched at the time of the last Autumn Budget – which sets out workable ways to make apprenticeships and training programmes more accessible, easier for firms to access.
“The Chamber’s recently published Quarterly Economic Survey for Q3 of 2026 has again shown, consistent with a long run of previous surveys, that 6 out of 10 East Midlands businesses have struggled to find suitable applicants for roles, underlining the need for skills to be addressed at the Budget.
“Announced investment for Rolls-Royce was good to hear in the Chancellor’s conference speech, good for Derby and the wider supply chains across Derbyshire and the East Midlands – a reminder of the huge contribution the East Midlands makes to the country, driving UK growth.
“The Budget must bring growth to all business sectors, though, and that means supportive policies are needed, like reducing the immense pressure on hospitality, manufacturing and small businesses with a full root and branch review of business rates, for example, as proposed in our Framework for Growth. Likewise, wider energy support must be made available and corporate taxation, that has inhibited growth for employers, needs to be addressed in the Budget.
“Business will be wary of references that were given in the Chancellor’s conference speech to following fiscal rules and constraints on Government finances, when the need for supportive policies for business cannot be downplayed.
“This must be a Budget that places business front and centre and the Chancellor must not miss that opportunity on 28th October.”
View East Midlands Chamber’s Framework for Growth here.
View East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q3, 2026 here.
