Top Of The Policies on Industrial Policy, Chaired by Iain Wright MP, 17 October, Barley Mow (Westminster)

90 second policy ideas, quick-fire questions and debate on the future of

Chaired by Iain Wright MP, Shadow Minister for Competitiveness & Enterprise

– 90 SECONDS PER SPEAKER TO PRESENT A POLICY IDEA (up to 15 speakers) – 2 MINUTES Q&A PER POLICY – ONE VOTE – ONE TOP POLICY ON INDUSTRIAL POLICY

WHEN? 6.30pm-8.30pm, WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER 2012 WHERE? Upstairs at the Barley Mow pub, Horseferry Rd, Westminster

SPEAKERS: Short introductions from PragRad Chair, John Slinger, our sponsors, and event chair Iain Wright MP (Shadow Minister for Competitiveness & Enterprise).

 

 

 

 

 

Why Britain would be better off if we all spent less time at the office. The case for a new, voluntary scheme to introduce shorter working week, and for the rapid expansion of productive and pleasurable gardening in Britain’s towns and cities.

Well-designed targets can drive actions – irrespective of whether or not we agree with its speed of implementation, the Fiscal Mandate drives action across government. We need the same approach to growth across government with all departments signing up to a limited number of growth ambitions and working together to deliver them. Just as with the Fiscal Mandate, progress would be measured against a limited set of benchmarks and monitored by an outside body. Stephen Radley – Director of Policy – EEF – the Manufacturers’ Organisation. @EEF_Press 

Small and medium sized businesses employ around half the UK work force. We need to end the Thatcher/Reagan consensus about unfettered free markets and instead have SME advocates in the heart of government charged with encouraging growth in this sector.

UKTI sets up a YouTube type channel for SMEs (small and medium sized businesses) to promote themselves through videos they can shoot on their own mobiles or personal video camera – introducing key managers and showcasing their business. The target audience is investors – venture capitalists, retail investors, etc.  The government is seen to be matchmaking innovators and entrepreneurs with investors. It helps business starved of finance by the banks and unconvinced of the merits of listing on the stock exchange.  It’s cheap! 

Jobs Not Welfare: Innovative job creation and workplace education scheme, in public/private partnership, with government leading across UK and companies sponsoring/partnering. 

Too many organisations still manage their cashflow by stringing their smaller suppliers along, which makes it harder for small firms to grow and can drive them under. Suppliers have the right to sue for payment but understandably rarely use this, and the voluntary approach to encourage prompt payment has its limitations. Large firms, public bodies and charities – including privatised utilities, local authorities and subsidiaries of overseas companies – should be required by law to publish their independently audited payment practices in their annual reports, enabling the worst offenders to be publicly named and shamed.

A policy to charge corporation tax where earned in the UK and to prevent the tax avoidance schemes in operation – effectively we change corporate law so that profits are taxed on UK sales and no off shoring of HQ’s

This is not the case in Germany, France, Japan and the USA. In those countries industrial policy along with research and development and workforce skills are all linked to government investment, economic, regeneration, education and public procurement policies. A future Labour government must link UK industrial policy to these same policies in order to create opportunities and markets for UK manufactures to innovate and develop world beating products and skills in the UK. Charles King – Chair, Croydon South Labour Party and member of the last Labour Government’s Manufacturing Forum

An optional scheme for businesses to measure their social impact through pre-approved tools in return for tax credits if found to have a positive impact on the communities that they serve. This would encourage greater corporate responsibility and direct investment into communities. It would allow us to celebrate and reward the “producers” and at the same time encourage businesses to assess and improve the impact that they have.

Amanjit Jhund – Doctor, multi award winning serial entrepreneur and former Labour Party PPC @amanjit

This should be a key vehicle for delivering an active industrial policy, including choosing dynamic sectors for the future; infrastructure funding, green investment, housing and SME support especially in supply chains; and a key route to end the current investment strike of British industry.

Steve Hart – Political Director of Unite @stevehaetunite

Roll up Capital Allowances, R&D Tax Credit and money available for training into one simple, easy to claim Tax Credit to boost take-up and give a spur to investment in SMEs.

 

Currently all environmental taxes (the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the Carbon Reduction Commitment, Climate Change Agreements etc.) go straight from the companies that pay them to Exchequer. It is right that we tax bads, such as environmental pollution, but, if the desired outcome is to change the behaviour of businesses to reduce pollution they need to have the money to invest in reducing their environmental impact. I argued that companies should have the opportunity to invest the money that they pay in environmental taxes into new technology and operating techniques which reduce their negative environmental impact.
Ken Penton, Political & Media Consultant. Member Tooting CLP. @KenPenton

 

To have the chance to present your 90 second policy idea on the on the night, please send it in the following format:

Send to PragRad Chair, John Slinger john.slinger@pragmaticradicalism.co.uk, or use the comment form below. @PragRad @JohnSlinger

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