13th December 2019
Commenting on the results of the 2019 UK General Election, Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce said:
“With a majority government now in place, we hope we will finally gain some clarity and action on the Brexit process. Since the vote to leave the European Union, businesses have faced unprecedented confusion about what the future will hold, with consequent impacts on their abilities to recruit, invest, and grow our economy. What we need now is a clear idea of how the immediate process of withdrawal from the EU will happen, certainty on what this will mean for businesses, support to help businesses to adapt to these changes, and clarity on the Government’s priorities for our future relationship with Europe.
“In addition, over the past three and a half years there has been a lack of focus on other issues such as raising public investment in transport, energy and digital infrastructure and developing a clear UK energy strategy. These issues are of real importance to businesses, particularly given the opportunities in the North Highlands for offshore wind, wave, tidal stream power and nuclear decommissioning. The ongoing uncertainty has also led to delays in budgets, with knock-on effects on the abilities of public agencies and businesses to plan for the future.
“We would call on the new Government, its Ministers and its MPs to get out there, listen to, and act on the concerns of businesses in the communities they represent. In particular, businesses in remote and rural communities such as the North Highlands face a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and we urge that the Government recognise these and provide appropriate support to meet these needs.
“Locally, our congratulations go to Jamie Stone on his re-election and we look forward to continuing to work with him on issues of importance to businesses across the North Highlands.”