Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) Business Alliance members will gather for the first meeting this year of the Thames Valley Assembly (TVA) on January 16th to kick start the 2024 Business Manifesto campaigning to ensure the voice of Thames Valley business continues to be heard.
The roundtable will welcome Iain Anderson, Executive Chair Cicero, and facilitator of the TVCC Windsor Debates. Iain will be discussing his review of business relations for the Labour Party and gauge feedback from our members to inform the approach of the Party to working with business. Iain’s report will be concluded at the end of the month.
Paul Britton, CEO, TVCC, said “This is all part of the Chambers’ a-political work to get across the needs of businesses large and small in the region. 2024 is predicted to a cacophony of political noise in the run up to the general election which we learnt last week is likely to be in the second half of the year. This next meeting of the TVA builds on the momentum of this new forum, which launched the Parliamentary Question Time in November and secured senior politicians the Rt Hon Theresa May MP, Lord David Blunkett MP and Catherine Bearder MP, to engage with members on what matters most for them.
“For many businesses and for SMEs in particular we recognise that influencing policy makers may not be in a business leaders comfort zone but following the EU referendum in 2016 and the more recent instability in Westminster, our members understand the significance of politics today and how interventions on the economy and the business environment impact local businesses and the confidence of their customers on the ground. The Chamber is uniquely placed to engage in politics without being political, and work with business to represent their industry sector and place or business community.”
The TVA is a new Chamber initiative to strengthen the regional voice of business being promoted by the Chamber to help future proof the competitive edge of the business community at a time of significant political and technological change.
The Assembly includes employers large and small from across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Swindon and anchor institutions such as leading universities and healthcare providers. Businesses interested in joining the TVA are invited to contact Rosiesweeney@tvchamber.co.uk to enquire about Business Alliance membership.
