Each year, the Western Morning News host a glamorous Business Awards in the region. This year’s event was held last Friday at St Mellion just across the border and I was kindly invited to be the guest of Pennon - owners of South West Water, and guest speaker.
If you’re a regular reader of this website, you’ll know that one of the issues I continually champion both locally and up in Westminster, is the growth potential for our region and the need to see even further increases to our productivity.
Friday’s event was a wonderful celebration of the many local businesses, ranging in size from micro to large, nominated for awards, as well as a wider celebration of the business community in the South West.
I used my keynote speech to address our collective hopes and aspirations for Devon, Cornwall and the rest of the South West region. We are a key resource to the productivity and success story of the UK as a whole and I will continue to work with Government to help us harness that potential.
There has never been a better or more critical time to stake our claim on future growth and prosperity for our region. The Government is at a crossroads, considering its next steps – on Brexit and a wide range of other issues. The nation is at a turning point and must forge a new path for the future. Across the UK, other regions are mobilising, they are already charting their course for the years ahead. Some of them – the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine included – have already hoisted anchor and set sail. We’re behind. But the race is not lost and there is no more time to lose.
The South West has proved it can be successful when it puts its mind to something. We have many core strengths. We are home to world-class universities including Exeter, Plymouth, Falmouth and Bath. We have highly skilled workers, thriving business clusters and networks; marine around Plymouth, environment around Exeter, aerospace and defence around Newquay among others. We have growing businesses across the aerospace, marine, technology and creative industries, all of which are helping the region attract and retain talent. We offer unrivalled lifestyle benefits and a healthy environment. It is perhaps the most beautiful place to live, work and raise a family.
As we see a shift towards a digital economy, we are perfectly poised to reap the benefits. After all, why live in a heavily-polluted overcrowded urban conurbation when you could be here? But being connected is critical. We need an ultrafast south-west; a new partnership with the private sector to deliver ultrafast mobile, fibre and wireless broadband to 90% of the population by 2030. Furthermore, we want investment in energy connectivity - switching the South West on to opportunity. Crucially, we still need investment in transport connectivity to get business moving. We cannot continue to suffer every time the main line from London or the North goes down.
These things will not happen unless we as a region make them happen.
Going forward, the South West must make it clear to Government that we are a force to be reckoned with, and that our vision for growth is a vision with the full support of the private and public sector; a cohesive and positive vision that will benefit not just this region but the wider UK. The South West has much to offer as a skills centre, an exporter, an innovator, a leader. It is time we achieved the recognition and commitments we deserve.