Making 2025 the year for stability and dialogue

2025... stability, stability, stability? Last year was not a pleasant one 
for business.

After months of pre-election paralysis, there was the vicious side swipe of the Budget, with government penalising employment with a triple whammy that seemed one straw too many for business’ backs to bear.

Business has performed positively in Lancashire for the last few years – and that’s been despite government, not with the support of it.

But the close of 2024 proved too much, with those optimistic firms battered to the point of infuriation.

Concerns were raised that the only way to handle the extra pressure heaped on, especially through the change in the NI floor level, was redundancies. Only time will tell.

Our role now is twofold – to ensure government properly understands the impact it has on the only true cash generators in the economy with such taxations, and designing the new Lancashire Combined Authority in such a way that it really does support our local economy to the best of its ability.

On the eve of Lancashire Day last November the Statutory Instrument
enabling the Lancashire Combined Authority was laid before parliament and the new business board is now running at full speed, Lancashire is the host – at last – for the Convention of the North in February.

Time for some serious showcasing of ourbest and brightest and the challenge to finally punch our weight in the North.

Does salvation lie with a new devolved, more self-governing role? It’s our job to try and make sure that’s our new reality.