Northern Ireland Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, with Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts, and Stakeholder Communications Chief Executive, Tom Kelly, at the Northern Ireland Reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester
Speaking at the Northern Ireland Reception at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Monday night (5th October), senior representatives of the local business community urged any incoming Tory Government to put the rebuilding of Northern Ireland’s economy at the heart of its policy agenda.
The reception, attended by over 100 Shadow Cabinet Ministers, MPs, MEPs, peers, parliamentary candidates and visiting diplomats, was organised by the local Conservatives and Unionists under the theme of ‘Northern Ireland – Open for Business”.
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA), Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Stakeholder Communications sponsored the event. Along with the Shadow Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, NIIRTA Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts, and Stakeholder’s Chief Executive, Tom Kelly, addressed the reception.
Speaking on behalf of NIIRTA and the Chamber of Commerce, Glyn Roberts said:
“The future regeneration of our economy is central to underpinning devolution in Northern Ireland. It is, therefore, crucial that any future Tory administration ensures that our Assembly and Executive have the right funding to take this forward.
“While devolving Policing and Justice is important, addressing Northern Ireland’s fundamental structural economic problems is also a crucial final piece of the jigsaw toward the new future we all want to see.
“Key to that future is the establishment of a policy framework that will allow our SME sector to grow, help build new markets across the world and designate Northern Ireland an Enterprise Zone – all which would go a long way toward making Northern Ireland the best possible place in the UK to do business.
“We need to completely re-structure our economy from being public-sector led to putting wealth creators in the driving seat.
“As the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce rightly ar
gues, more work needs be to done to increase awareness of existing support for local companies and export stakeholders. In so doing we can change perceptions of support accessibility. It would also be useful to address gaps in support by developing a pilot programme aimed at moving non-exporting companies and inexperienced exporters to the ‘export ready’ stage.”
Tom Kelly, MD of one of Northern Ireland’s largest PR companies, Stakeholder Communications, told delegates:
“Northern Ireland’s economy has made substantial advances in recent years as growing political stability and the establishment of devolution have dramatically improved our attractiveness to overseas investors. That said, productivity levels in the local economy lag stubbornly behind the UK average.
“As the recent financial crisis has demonstrated, the UK economy has become over-reliant upon financial services and commercial activity within the M25 ring. A fundamental challenge for any incoming Westminster Government, particularly a Conservative Government that has to rebuild its ‘One Nation’ credentials, must be a practical regional policy.
“Such an approach will relieve pressure on the south-east of England and give other UK regions, including Northern Ireland, the infrastructure and capacity they need to jump-start their wealth creation potential.”
