Peel Policy Forum Event

I’ve recently been appointed Director for Business at the Peel Policy Forum (PPF). PPF is a new independent think tank established earlier this year and operating in Manchester. Our primary function is to inform public policy particularly from a North West perspective. To this end, we look to publish high quality research capable of shaping agenda. We have an array of talents from business to academia.
We are about to publish early in 2012 our first paper on sustainable development. We are looking for our next piece to be on ‘Women in Politics’ and how representative this is.

Friday saw us host an excellent event at The Midland Hotel where our panel members along with myself were Brooks Newmark MP who is a Government Whip and also brings immense and valuable experience on the economy, Dr Brian Sloan Chief Economist for the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Luke Springthorpe also of PPF who did an excellent job in chairing the event (all pictured)
Dr Brian Sloan opened the meeting with a well informed and constructive view of challenges that face business in the North West. His opening concentrated on how dependent the NW has been to the Public Sector for employment, and how this has distorted the economy. He also went on to say that the NW was also exposed to the happenings in the Eurozone as 50% of it’s exports were to the Eurozone. He was positive on manufacturing which had continued to grow in the area and also how the private sector was doing well in providing jobs to those leaving the Public Sector. He also expressed strong views that in his opinion a northern hub was needed to aid congestion calming if electrification goes ahead for the regions rail links.

Brooks Newmark MP gave an excellent insight as to what the government was doing to address these problems. He outlined the necessity for the recent austerity cuts that nobody liked to do but were a necessary evil to not allowing our credit ratings to be cut, which would have disastrous consequences.
He made the point that if this were to happen and interest rates were to rise by 1% this would add £4billion in costs to business. He went on to discuss how we smooth out the distortion to the regions economy with minimum pain.

Some of the things that the Government are doing to help are;

* Simplifying taxation
* Reducing red tape for business
* Review of no fault dismissal rules which will encourage small business to hire that extra person
* Help for young people with 300,000 new apprenticeships.

Many thanks to all those who attended the event, and we look forward to welcoming you to our next event in 2012.