Sunak seeks to unite business leaders amid CBI demise
ishi Sunak today sought unite the business community around his plans to grow the economy in a bid to fill the void left by the abrupt collapse of the CBI.
The prime minister said he was “unashamedly pro-business” invited a group of 200 CEOs and board members to a conference in North London called ‘Business Connect,’ which “champions the dynamism of UK businesses to unlock innovation and grow the economy.”
“We want small and big businesses to know this government has got your back,” he said. “Your businesses create the jobs and prosperity our country depends on.”
The prime minister also held a live ‘Q&A’ with business leaders on LinkedIn this morning in which he laid out ambitions to grow the UK’s AI and life sciences sectors as well as open up billions in government procurement contracts to small and medium-sized firms.
Sunak said AI roles had been added to the government’s fast-track Global Talent Visa, while it would also fund “hundreds if not thousands” of AI courses. He also promised to rip up red tape by scrapping the paperwork that prevented scores of small businesses from applying to government procurement schemes.
However, any mention of the CBI’s demise – a hot topic among business leaders – was conspicuously absent from the online event, which was ended after just 20 minutes when Sunak said he was “told I am out of time.”
The CBI yesterday said it had suspended activity after scores of major UK firms including John Lewis and BP suspended withdrew their membership of the organisation following allegations of rape and sexual assault.
“We have taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend all policy and membership activity until an extraordinary general meeting in June,” its board said in a statement.
CBI director general Tony Danker was sacked following accusations about his behaviour, but he later hit back at the decision, saying he had been made the ‘fall guy’ for a wider crisis.