24 Oct Northamptonshire Businesses, Charities and Organisations visit Parliament to discuss key issues with Northamptonshire MP’s ahead of the Autumn Statement.
Northamptonshire business owners, charities and organisations met with Northamptonshire MPs on Wednesday at an event organised by Northamptonshire membership organisation NNBN.
Twenty three members of NNBN joined co-founders Simon and Marie Cox to travel to London as the party undertook a tour of the Palace of Westminster and Houses of Parliament before meeting with Northamptonshire MPs to discuss key issues and concerns relating to them.
Matters raised included business concerns consisting of employer national insurance contributions, access to funding, attracting and retaining talent, concerns around empty units on the hight street, uncertainty with regards to AI, rising costs for businesses and legislation changes following BREXIT as well as questions from those who attended that they wished to raise.
Other topics included support for young people starting businesses, concerns around late payment issues and the impact this is making on cashflow as well as a specific ask to support the manufacturing sector.
As part of the day, members were able to engage with four of Northamptonshire MPs, Mike Reader (Northampton South – Labour), Stuart Andrew (Daventry – Conservative), Rosie Wrighting (Kettering – Labour) and Lee Barron (Corby and East Northamptonshire – Labour) to raise questions around a variety of topics and to ask for further engagement around key issues that they were facing.
Organiser and Director of NNBN Simon Cox said “The day presented an opportunity for local businesses, charities and organisations based in Northamptonshire to engage with MPs and raise their concerns as well as take in the historical tour of the 8 acre site of the Houses of Parliament and general business of the House of Commons and House of Lords.”
“I was delighted that Northamptonshire businesses, charities and organisations were able to raise their questions to the MPs and that they were willing to listen to concerns. There are follow up meetings to be had from the Q&A meeting and we look forward to helping our members engage further with these conversations.
We would like to thank the four Northamptonshire MPs who joined us for the Q&A after the tour and appreciated their time and openness when it came to the questions that were raised.”