June Policy Update

In this month’s update from our Policy team we will of course be focusing on the General Election, but let’s not forget other events from the past month, including consultations, roundtables, and local policy changes.

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But first, the election – this caught a lot of us by surprise, but we’ve pulled together an engagement plan and will be working throughout the election period and beyond to make sure the candidates consider the needs of Edinburgh businesses as they plan their time in office. As part of the British Chamber network we have published a manifesto, calling for immediate action from the incoming Government.

The 5 key actions in this manifesto are:

• An Industrial Strategy with green innovation at its heart: For green jobs and business investment opportunities
• Better skills planning, bringing businesses and training providers together: To boost investment in skills, bringing businesses and training providers together to tackle skills shortages and support sustainable career opportunities for all
• Business rates reform to encourage growth and investment: To develop a long-term business rates strategy to encourage economic growth and investment in communities
• Improved relations with the European Union to cut the costs for business: For the new government to negotiate improved UK trading terms with our largest partner the European Union
• A Government appointed AI champion for SMEs: For an AI Champion to spearhead uptake of latest technology amongst SMEs to boost productivity and competitiveness

The full manifesto can be found here . Some of these recommendations do relate to devolved areas, but we are making many of the same asks of Scottish Government.

We’ve also put out a series of asks of our own, that we feel are particularly relevant to Edinburgh Chamber:

• Government Relations: We’re seeking a reset in the relationship between different government levels to foster closer and more constructive collaboration.
• Reduction in Hospitality VAT: to boost competitiveness, deliver higher growth, and also generate a net fiscal gain.
• Tax-Free Shopping: A reintroduction of tax-free shopping to boost retail.
• Energy Transformation: Overhaul and modernise the national grid and plan for future energy sources.

Alongside election activity, we’ve also been continuing to engage on policy at a local and Scottish level. On behalf of members we responded to a Scottish Government consultation looking at how the planning system is funded, as well as how to ensure a strong skills pipeline. We also fed back on the City Council’s plan for preparing for the impacts of climate change. We’ve been keeping a close eye on the passage through Parliament of the Visitor Levy Bill, which was passed at the end of the month – we’ll now be focusing on continued engagement with Visit Scotland, who are producing guidance to accompany the Bill, and with the City Council, to ensure any Visitor Levy scheme benefits rather than harming our critical visitor economy. We welcomed the decision from the City Council to shelve plans for a Workplace Parking Levy, after we shared concerns from members about the additional cost and barriers to implementation. We also had success advocating against restrictions on graduate visas, ensuring that our universities and employers can continue to feel the benefit of international talent.

Looking ahead, we’ll be feeding in to the city’s housing strategy consultation, and sharing feedback from members with the Low Pay Commission, who advise UK Government on minimum wage policy. We'll also focus on the first 100 days of the new UK Government, Scotland’s new First Minister, and the City Council's new Chief Executive, to influence early policy decisions.

As always, we welcome your thoughts and questions. Feel free to reach out for more details and follow us for more updates!