Business
By Ian Vickerage, of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
ALISTAIR Darling’s first Budget, delivered back in March, was not a cause for celebration for most of us, with various tax and duty rises introduced.However, the Chamber of Commerce was pleased with a couple of its aspects: first the controversial increase in capital gains tax on business sales from 10 per cent to 18 per cent introduced last year was scaled down, with the first £1 million of gains still attracting the lower 10 per cent rate. This improvement can be confidently ascribed to the pressure exerted by the Chamber of Commerce, along with the CBI and FSB, which I described in this column last year.
Second, there was the postponement of the proposed 2p a litre increase in fuel duty, where the Chamber led the opposition to the increase along with several motoring and logistics organisations. As the primary business organisation opposing the price increase, owing to the effect on the economy as a whole, we added an important dimension to the debate, steering it away from becoming purely a road haulage campaign. However, as the Chancellor reduced his own economic growth forecasts, he should have completely scrapped the 2p rise rather than merely defer it.
These are high-profile examples of the way that the Chamber fights on behalf of business, on these two occasions with demonstrable success. But in the background we are representing business on a daily basis at various levels: for example, we are members of, and until recently provided the chairman of, the Local Strategic Partnership, the body whose key role is to improve the wellbeing of our local community. We are consulted by West Berkshire Council on many other matters, including their over-all budgets and strategies, and on its plans for Business Rates.
he Chamber has also recently provided the business response to the Government’s plan for a third runway at Heathrow - this is an example of an issue which seriously affects business in this area, but which transcends West Berkshire boundaries, and where we rely on being part of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group to get the results we want. A further opportunity to work at this level has arrived with the creation of the Berkshire Economic Strategy Board (BESB), a new body which will be composed of Local Authority and Business representatives (at least three from the Chamber), with a remit to optimise the Thames Valley economy, and millions of pounds of government money to dispense.
Other new initiatives you will see from us this year include a new business exhibition called Business Live at Ascot Racecourse on July 25, and a new partnership with Regus, the office space providers, which will give usage of the 1,000 Regus centres worldwide to Chamber of Commerce members, for free meeting space, refreshments and WiFi services, ideal for meeting with customers and suppliers while on the road. Nor have smaller companies been forgotten with the launch of a new business advisory service which is free to start-ups and members with up to five employees.
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