Burnley business leaders lobby government in Parliament

Burnley business leaders headed to Westminster on Wednesday to ensure the borough is listened to by policymakers.

Around 40 representatives of the Burnley Bondholders were hosted at the House of Lords by Lord Wajid Khan of Burnley and Oliver Ryan MP.

The group – which included leaders from Panaz, Safran Nacelles, VEKA plc, BCW, Fagan & Whalley, Burnley College, Stolle, CRC Evans and many more – asked ministers and MPs to consider Northern towns like Burnley when creating policies.

Whilst medium-sized businesses make up only 0.7 per cent of businesses nationally, this figure is 1.9 per cent in Burnley, accounting for a significant proportion of the borough’s employment. They stated that for growth to continue, more central government support is required.

Burnley Bondholders is a 200-strong business network that collectively champions and lobbies on behalf of Burnley. 

Neil Evans, chair of Burnley Bondholders and managing director of VEKA, said: “Burnley is sometimes talked about in terms of its past. We’re proud of that history, but we headed to Westminster to talk about the present - and the future.

"The Burnley Bondholders represent around 200 businesses across manufacturing, engineering, digital, retail, hospitality and education. Together, we form an economy that consistently punches above its weight.

"Manufacturing and engineering alone account for around 16 per cent of all employment, making Burnley one of the most manufacturing-intensive places in the country.

 “That matters nationally. At a time when productivity, exports and resilience are high on the agenda, places like Burnley are not on the margins of the debate; they are central to it.

“Burnley sits within the North West’s advanced engineering and aerospace cluster, the largest in Europe, contributing billions to the UK economy. Within the borough are globally significant firms such as Safran Nacelles, BCW, HycAero, Velocity Composites and Paradigm Precision, alongside long-established manufacturers like ourselves VEKA plc and AMS Neve. 

“Burnley didn’t go down to Parliament asking for special treatment. We went to say: this is what we do well, this is what we’re building, and we’re ready to play our part.

"If we’re serious about long-term growth, productivity and opportunity across the country, then places like Burnley have to be right there in the conversation, as partners in shaping the future, not spectators on the sidelines.”

Lancashire Business View publisher Richard Slater hosted a session on the value to the economy of mid-sized and family businesses featuring panellists Mark Crabtree, AMS-Neve; Tony Attard, Panaz; Claire Whelan, BCW; Nathan Proctor, Proctor Process Plant; Sam Fagan, Fagan & Whalley

Chris Bryant MP, minister for trade, and Lucy Rigby KC MP,  economic secretary to the treasury, both attended and spoke at the event.

They both acknowledged that places like Burnley are important and must be listened to.

They highlighted how family-owned and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the economy, whilst our micro and small businesses are collectively important to GDP and should be taken seriously.

Those MPs, baronesses, lords and ministers who attended also got chance to look round several exhibitions.

These included a pop-up The Royal Dyche, AR technology by Padiham’s Gener8 Spaces and cyber security demonstrations by Seriun.

Other exhibitors were BCW, Burnley College, Panaz, The University of Lancashire, AMS Neve and Burnley.co.uk.

The event was wrapped up by the announcement of a new digital strategy for Burnley, with digital players including Northern Reach and Door4 describing the thriving tech hub the borough is home to.

Following the event, the Burnley Bondholders will continue to ask for more policy support from government and welcome those ministers and MPs who committed to visiting the borough to find out more.