Politicians from across the political spectrum welcomed the FMB’s General Election manifesto, ‘Building for Success – A Programme for the 2010 Parliament’.
At the launch event in Westminster on 23 March. Richard Diment, FMB Director General, chaired a lively and well informed cross party debate which was attended by over seventy delegates from across the construction sector including Ron Storer, FMB President, and senior members of the FMB.
THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY VIEW
The first of the keynote speakers was Mark Prisk MP, Conservative Shadow Business Minister, who congratulated the FMB on focusing on the future and said:
“The FMB is absolutely right to concentrate on the three key themes of skills and training, the green agenda; and the need to create a new business environment to help small businesses.”
On the skills issue Mark Prisk confirmed that the Conservative Party supported the FMB’s positive approach for apprenticeships and said that a Conservative government would create an additional 100,000 apprenticeships every year. On the green front, the Conservatives recognise the need to retrofit the existing housing stock and would allow all householders to have a £6,500 entitlement to make their homes greener. To help small businesses, Mark Prisk told delegates that an incoming Conservative government would reduce the regulatory burden and was committed to simplifying the tax system. A Conservative government would also ensure that any new regulation would only be introduced if an old one was removed. There would also be ‘a fairer deal’ between the employer and the employee to overcome the fear of claims at employment tribunals.
THE LIB DEM PARTY VIEW
Lorely Burt MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Business Minister, told delegates that: “The FMB is a great advocate for the construction industry” and that the SMEs would ‘lead the country out of recession.’ Lorely Burt supported the FMB’s commitment to skills and training and said that Lib Dems would fully fund apprenticeships for the first year of a Lib Dem government. With regard to building a greener Britain the Lib Dems support the FMB’s call for a cut in the VAT rate for retrofitting. On business issues, the Lib Dems support the FMB’s proposal to promote small scale new housing developments that focus on existing neighbourhoods, villages and towns. A Lib Dem government would also introduce a National Infrastructure Bank to help finance construction projects. Finally, Lorely Burt accepted the need for the FMB’s proposal to review and reform public sector tendering practices to help SMES secure more work.
THE LABOUR PARTY VIEW
Speaking for the Labour Party, Gordon Banks MP, called on a new vision and hope for the construction industry. He told the conference that the construction industry needed to lift the country out of recession and that the FMB was right to concentrate on pushing for reform of training the creation of more apprenticeships. The retrofitting of the existing housing stock is the real challenge for the building industry Gordon Banks told the delegates, as too many homes are of a poor standard. On the VAT issue, he said a cut could be a useful stimulus to get the British economy moving and welcomed the FMB’s recent research report prepared by Experian.
POSITIVE RESPONSE TO FMB MANIFESTO
To date the FMB has already received very positive response from MPs, peers and politicians to its manifesto. The Conservative Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps MP contacted the FMB to say, “The FMB’s manifesto, ‘Building for Success,’ is a great addition to the current debate on the future of the construction industry. I’m pleased to see the FMB looking for ways to tackle the challenges ahead.”
Other politicians who have contacted the FMB include Rt. Hon Baroness Royall, Leader of the House of Lords; Baroness Verma, Conservative Shadow Skills Minister; Lorely Burt MP, Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson; Dr Liam Fox MP, Conservative Shadow Defence Secretary; Gerald Howarth MP, Conservative Shadow Defence Minister; Peter Bottomley MP; Lord Newby; and Lord Harrison.
