LEADING Government and Opposition figures were present at the launch of a new All Party Parliamentary Group founded and led by Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid.
The group, which will focus on business support and engagement, was launched in Parliament and follows on from the Circle the Future initiative started by Mr Rashid when he was Mayor of Warrington to boost local business.
Politicians and representatives from across the business world came together for the event and there were speeches from Business Minister Richard Harrington and Shadow Minister Bill Esterson.
Aim of the All Party group is to provide a platform for politicians and businesses to work together to achieve a range of goals, including: economic growth, productivity, high wages, high employment, workers’ rights, and social responsibility.
There were also speakers from Redwood Bank, a British-based business challenger bank, part owned by Warrington Borough Council, which launched in August last year, who were the lead sponsors of the event, and from Spotcap, an innovative SME lender focused on enterprises underserved by traditional financial institutions, who also sponsored the evening.
Afterwards. Mr Rashid said: “I am thrilled the launch went so well and I am very grateful to all those who attend and have given their support to the group.
“I am proud of the work I did as Mayor to assist businesses in my home town and in my new role as MP, I now have a platform to take this work even further on both a national and international level.
“Following on from the successful launch, the APPG will have a busy program of work ahead – engaging with and supporting business. This work is especially important now, at a time when productivity is low, wages are falling, and economic growth is stagnating.
“We must help businesses to grow and flourish however we can, in an ethical and responsible way, so that in turn businesses can support a social agenda, and allow us to serve our constituents and the most vulnerable in our societies.”
