Hosted at BT Group’s Adastral Park headquarters, last Friday saw leading Suffolk businesses and policymakers (including all eight Suffolk MPs) come together to explore how the county can enhance its visibility with the new Labour government and attract the investment and support the region desperately needs.
The Suffolk Convention, organised by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, sought to articulate how the county can strongly and cogently set out its offer to government. The session marked the first step in renewed efforts to present the region as a critical partner in the delivery of Labour’s ambitions, and as a route to securing a ‘fair share’ of funding and investment for Suffolk.
Simon Darby, Head of Public Affairs at PLMR Group, was invited to speak at the Convention and provided his perspective on the question of how Suffolk is currently viewed by government.
Simon told delegates that, historically, Suffolk had low visibility with government policymakers and had at times ‘punched under its weight’ which resulted in a lack of understanding regarding the vital contribution the county makes to UK growth and prosperity. Possible reasons for this include:
- Perceptions that Suffolk is ‘doing alright’: rightly or wrongly, the challenges facing the county have rarely been seen as the most pressing problems facing regions of the UK, which has often resulted in government and policymaker attention being focused elsewhere. ‘Levelling-up’; the initial wave of Combined Authorities; and the narrative around ‘left-behind communities’ all pointed more towards the north of England than the East.
- The county has been ‘too nice and polite’: put simply, over a period of time, other parts of England have been far more assertive and vocal in highlighting how they are delivering for the UK and for the government of the day – in terms of key industries; creating jobs and contribution to policy ambitions. There are lots of great voices across Suffolk (and the East of England, more widely) but at times, this hasn’t been as united, powerful, and consistent as it could be.
- A disconnect between the Suffolk economy and how it is perceived: linked to the above, understanding of the critical importance of the Suffolk economy – as a gateway to the UK in terms of trade; as a key driver in the energy transition; as a home to the innovative sectors (agritech; advanced manufacturing) of future growth – has largely been underappreciated.
What became clear throughout the Convention is the alignment Suffolk has – as a regional economic powerhouse – with the ambitions of this Labour administration. The latent potential of Suffolk being increasingly viewed as a constructive partner to national government remains. Those in attendance strongly agreed that now is the time to capitalise on this opportunity and galvanise the support the region requires from Westminster and Whitehall.
Following the opportunity to workshop and discuss ways in which Suffolk can present an offer to government and what will attract the attention of policymakers, delegates provides a range of positive and constructive themes and recommendations, including:
- The need for the region to speak with one, united voice (#OneSuffolkVoice) and develop a recognisable, engaging brand that can position the county constructively – and consistently – to policymakers.
- Creating a simple narrative that succinctly captures what the county delivers for the wider nation. Those in attendance generated a range of great ideas, but one that really resonated was the idea of Suffolk connecting, powering and feeding the UK – neatly articulating the region’s excellence in supporting trade, energy generation (and transition), and on agriculture / agritech.
- Ensuring alignment with the Labour government’s ‘missions’ – notably on achieving growth; becoming a clean energy superpower; and on creating opportunity (through jobs, skills and career progression). Suffolk is ideally placed as a delivery partner on these ambitions. Presenting this offer on a consistent basis will be the priority.
- Creating ways in which Suffolk can develop innovative approaches and models of delivery, which unblock challenges and deliver what government wants to see delivered, enabling the county to be viewed as an exemplar and template for other counties and regions to follow. As one example, delegates spoke of looking at innovative ways of compensating and engaging local communities around infrastructure development – reducing the often adversarial nature of planning – and achieving growth.
- Being clear the UK cannot deliver without Suffolk – and that the county is at the heart of the UK’s wider growth ambitions. As strong as the positive case needs to be, articulating the consequence of failing to back Suffolk needs to be made as well.
The Suffolk Convention represented the first stage in building the case for the county, to put the region at the forefront of policymaker minds and – ultimately – to ensure Suffolk gets its ‘fair share’. Much more work needs to be done in the coming weeks and months – but clearly the appetite and vision is there.
Businesses, charities and wider stakeholders across Suffolk all have a hugely important role to play in this – getting your voice heard will help get the voice of the county heard.
PLMR Genesis, our East of England team, has a long and proud history in Suffolk and has grown to become the region’s leading communications agency. If you’re interested in discussing what role you can play in shaping the county’s future, get in touch with us.