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Election 2015: North West businesses give their opinions

Each week Bdaily has asked businesses from a different area of the North West for their opinions and hopes from the upcoming election and presented their views in a weekly roundup.

This week we present a general roundup from the entire of the North West.

Robert Jones, Property Investments UK

Robert Jones, Director of Property Investments UK, said: “The issue of property has emerged as one of the central themes of this election campaign and it’s not surprising given the severe lack of supply in the UK property market.

“Much of the talk has been around ways to increase supply and improve opportunities to buy, but all the main parties are failing to get close to the reality of the problem.

“The Conservative manifesto includes a pledge to give an estimated 1.3 million families the right to buy housing association homes at a discounted price. This isn’t a solution to the supply problem because it will only reduce the volume of available social housing stock at a time when too few homes are being built year-on-year.

“Meanwhile, Labour has pledged to build 200,000 new homes by 2020. That’s just a small drop in the ocean compared to the estimated 250,000 homes that need to be built every year just to keep up with current demand, and that’s not accounting for the increasing shortage created from slower house building over the last decade.

“The real solutions are bringing more land in to use to build affordable residential homes; allowing more buildings to be brought in to residential use; improving planning resources to make the process for homeowners simpler and more affordable; and more right to build projects across the country.

“It’s simple supply and demand – increase the supply and prices will level out.

“Each successive government has failed to build enough homes and this isn’t likely to change. Instead, the emphasis has to be on working more closely with the private sector to create an environment that allows more homes to be built. The UK needs government policies that support and actively encourage everyone – from individuals to companies – to build more properties and that’s the only way we’ll ever really tackle the issues the property sector is facing today.”

Graham Davidson, Sequre Property Investment

Labour must realise that rogue landlords do not dominate the buy-to-let market, says Graham Davidson, managing director of Sequre Property Investment.

He says: “The majority of the buy-to-let market are not rogue landlords but decent people - many have invested in bricks & mortar as an alternative form of pension and could have their businesses threatened. 1970s style rent controls will stifle the sector by discouraging investment, reducing the amount of available stock and driving up prices even further.

“Increasing rental stock should be the priority, with an emphasis on the dedicated build to rent market.

“Three year tenancies are impractical in reality and are simply not suitable for the majority of this young and increasingly mobile generation”.

Gavin Wheeldon, Purple WiFi

Gavin Wheeldon, CEO, Purple WiFi said: “By the end of this year the government has pledged that there will be 22 SuperConnected UK cities. No matter who wins the general election these cities will be given the digital infrastructure, including WiFi projects, to enable them to compete across an international platform.

“At Purple WiFi we’re helping to lead this charge, with the installation of our cloud-based social WiFi software in places such as the city of York.

“The current government are already investing over £1 billion to improve the mobile and broadband infrastructure. If all goes to plan by 2016 Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) will provide 90% of the country with super-fast broadband coverage.

“With election pledges coming in fast, improving the economy has to be at the top of the agenda. “Access to free WiFi I believe works hand in hand with this pledge. It is one way the economy can be boosted. With free WiFi everyone gains. Businesses see a bigger footfall of customers.

“Customers themselves can easily access information, find what they want and connect with who they want at the touch of a button. It’s a win, win situation and I hope whoever stands on the steps of number 10 on Friday May 8th will continue with this investment. Without it the UK cannot compete.”

Professor Lynn Martin, MMU Centre for Enterprise

Professor Lynn Martin, Director of the MMU Centre for Enterprise, believes that the concerns of small business leaders should be made top priority for the incoming government.

She said: “If the next government is serious about promoting growth and reducing the deficit then they should set about addressing the concerns our survey has highlighted. SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy and all parties should start recognising their importance. Whether the next government is led by a single party or a coalition, it needs to focus its attention on smaller enterprises, listen and act on their most pressing concerns.”

Alistair Cox, Hays

Hays’ Chief Executive Alistair Cox said: “The UK continues to enjoy one of the best economic performances in the world and this recovery must be protected by our government.

“We have successfully created almost 2 million new jobs as business confidence and investment has returned. As we approach the general election, all parties must reflect on their programme for further supporting the UK labour market. Employment is now at a record high, but the UK’s chronic skills shortage is still one of the biggest threats to our future prospects.

“The next government must aspire to build the best jobs market in the world, helping businesses access the talent they need. “Professions that currently suffer the greatest skills shortages are in STEM areas – requiring staff with experience in science, tech, engineering and maths. Young people need to be incentivised to pursue these subjects to plug existing skills gaps and secure the talent pipeline of tomorrow. Businesses and educators need to work together to make sure the curriculum serves the interests of employers as well as employees.

“Those already in the workforce, however, must not be neglected. We need a business-friendly legislative environment that encourages the development of a highly skilled and flexible labour force, helping companies to provide incentives and appropriate training to boost skills among all employees.

“All parties must also accept that, in the short-term, skilled migration is key to boosting our economy further as a world class economy needs world class talent. Our next government must recognise that vocational education, skilled immigration and training are central to the future of the economy.”

To see previous comments and opinions click on the below links:

Election 2015: Merseyside businesses give their opinions

Election 2015: Lancashire businesses give their opinions

Got an opinion or comment? Please let us know what you think by commenting below.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sophia Taha .