‘Let’s work together to reset our relationship with Business’

The relationship between the Labour Party and the business community could do with a bit of a reset.

Labour was elected on a promise of growth, partnership and stability. The work done in opposition to build relationships with the business community was hugely successful and showed the value of investing in good engagement and dialogue. 

These relationships while in Government are managed differently, and there have been a whole range of issues which have created challenges. It is now time to focus on how the Party across the country takes greater responsibility for building and maintaining those relationships, and Labour Business are here to help.

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As the Labour Party’s only affiliated business group, we exist to create space for a different kind of conversation, one that is practical, rooted in real experience, and open to businesses of all sizes and sectors. That means bringing together entrepreneurs, small business owners, freelancers and those working across industry, alongside Labour politicians and policymakers, not just in Westminster, but in communities across the country.

Because if we are serious about supporting working people, we need to be serious about the businesses they work in, run and rely on. That includes those in traditional employment, as well as the growing number of people who are self-employed or running their own businesses. Their experiences must be part of how Labour thinks about the economy.

This is not just about advocacy for business. It is about building a stronger partnership between business and the Labour movement, one that recognises that economic growth, good jobs and strong public services are all interconnected.

That is why Labour Business is stepping up its work.

We want to support Labour in government by strengthening engagement with businesses at every level of the Party. That means working with MPs, councillors and regional Labour structures to build meaningful relationships with businesses in their areas, and ensuring that those conversations are not confined to Westminster but are happening in towns and cities across the UK.

It also means creating clearer routes for businesses to contribute to Labour’s policy development, particularly at a time when the Party is entering a new National Policy Forum process. Practical business insight, especially from small businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs, needs to be part of those discussions.

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Alongside this, we want to help build a stronger community within Labour of people who are starting, running and growing businesses. There is a huge amount of experience within the Party that is not always visible or connected. Bringing that together will strengthen both our policy and our ability to deliver growth.

We have already begun this work. Earlier this year, we brought members together in Edinburgh for an event with Anas Sarwar, Douglas Alexander MP and Blair McDougall MP, creating space for discussion between Labour representatives and the business community in Scotland. And just this week, we partnered with North West Labour to host a business reception in Manchester, with Jonathan Reynolds MP, Cllr Bev Craig, Bill Esterson MP and Andrew Western MP.

These are exactly the kinds of conversations we need more of, open, constructive and rooted in the realities of different places and sectors.

But we are also clear that this work cannot be done in isolation. If Labour is to build a stronger relationship with business, it needs to be a collective effort across the Party and the wider movement. We want to work in partnership with other Labour groups, networks and affiliated organisations to ensure that business engagement is joined up, inclusive and effective.

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A stronger partnership between Labour and business is not an end in itself. It is how we deliver sustainable growth, create good jobs, support people to build their own livelihoods, and generate the resources needed to invest in public services.

Labour Business is ready to play its part in that.

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