An update from the
CEO
12 May 2023
Dear John,
I’m going to do my best to write to
you once a month, letting you know what we’re getting up to and why.
Let me know if you find it interesting, or how I could improve
it.
Today’s news that the UK’s economic woes and incredibly sluggish growth
persists, is depressing but unsurprising. Brexit continues to be a
drag on British fortunes. But while rejoining the Single Market or
European Union will take a long time - undoing much of the most
damaging parts of the very hard Brexit we had foisted on us, need
not.
I have heard loud and clear from
Best for Britain supporters that what you want is real, tangible
change for your families and communities and not just more politicians
arguing. So with your support, that is exactly what Best for Britain
is aiming to achieve.
You may know, we set up the
UK Trade and Business
Commission in 2021, to take
evidence from businesses, academics, and experts, about the problems
Brexit and insufficient new trade deals has caused them, and more
importantly, about what the remedies could be.
More than two years on, after days
of live testimony, a written consultation, and hundreds of hours of
research, we are on the cusp of publishing a set of recommendations
that would give UK businesses, their employees and customers, the
boost they so desperately need.
Your support and action, promoting
our campaigns and contacting your MP about the Northern Ireland
Protocol Bill - which you successfully got the Government to scrap -
was a huge part of the Commission’s efforts to create space for the UK
to cooperate with the EU and agree a deal on Northern Ireland earlier
this year. That’s a step in the right direction but I know you’ll want
to know how you can get us further along that path.
Now we need to make those in
charge, and those who hope to be in charge, listen. Which is where
Trade Unlocked comes into it. With a General Election
almost certainly taking place in 2024, we know that political parties
will begin writing their manifestos this summer. That means, the point
of maximum influence on the future of the UK’s relationship with the
EU, is now.
And on the 20th June, we are
bringing together hundreds of businesses, trade bodies,
industry groups, senior policymakers and the media, for a day long
conference in Birmingham, to discuss the policy recommendations, and
send a clear message to manifesto writers that our trading
relationship with the EU can, and must, be improved.
We’ve never organised a conference
on this scale before, and we’ve been overwhelmed by the strength of
support for it amongst businesses across the country. I’m delighted to
be welcoming many people who are already Best for Britain supporters
to Trade Unlocked and if your business or employer wants to attend, do
register while tickets are still available.
While policy development and Trade
Unlocked is taking up the lion’s share of our time, we haven’t stopped
doing the day job.
-
We continue to run the powerful
Can’t Wait campaign, urging opposition parties to work
together at election time and to change our arcane voting system for
the better.
-
We are undertaking seat level
polling and analysis that will inform our tactical vote recommendations
at the next election (more on that coming soon - make sure you’re
following us on Twitter to be the first to hear about it).
-
And we are scrutinising the endless, egregiously authoritarian
legislation being brought forward by a divided and intellectually
bankrupt governing party.
- Stay
tuned for the UK Trade & Business Commission’s recommendations,
coming soon. You will have the opportunity to get that document seen
by your MP and those in government who need to take
notice.
It’s been 13 years since Cameron
and his four successors entered Number 10. Thirteen years of wage
stagnation, low growth, declining public services, xenophobic policies
and democratic erosion. And that’s before we’ve even mentioned their
scandalous spending, seemingly never ending cronyism, and
shameful sleaze. Thirteen unlucky years of failure.
The UK deserves so much better. You
deserve so much better.
None of this could be achieved
without you , so thank you very, very much, have a good weekend, and
I’ll be in touch again next month.
Yours in hope,
Naomi.
PS. I’d love your feedback -
do let me know if you think this kind of update is
valuable, or anything you would like me to include in a future
update.
