Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce’s Post

What the new UK Labour Government has pledged for environment... • Set up the publicly owned Great British Energy, and invest in clean energy – almost all of the country’s electricity to be UK-generated and zero carbon by 2030 • Upgrade the National Grid and reform planning to speed up clean energy projects • Make sure local communities benefit directly from hosting clean energy infrastructure • Refuse to issue licences to explore new North Sea oil and gas fields or new coal licences, while retaining existing licences, and ban fracking completely • End sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and speed up the roll out of electric vehicle charging points • Make polluting water firms clean up rivers and seas and give the regulator powers to block bonuses for company bosses https://lnkd.in/gXnf4JdB

Although there is needs to be more clarity on how the new Industrial and Infrastructure strategies will work in practice and what the mechanisms for fund distribution are, it looks like some sectors will be prioritised so it's worth taking a look at the detail. There is currently about £3bn of business grant funding available so it will be interesting to see how much of the £15.6bn investment mentioned will come through as grant funding for SMEs over the next 5 years.

Soo…productivity in the Public Sector FELL by a further 1.2% in the quarter to the end of June 2024 despite the Public Sector pay rises liberally handed out after 4 July 2024: in other words more pay for less output! The exact reverse of Profit Related Pay!!

Day 1/100. What no one is telling you about building an online business & how it's taken a below average joe like myself from minimum wage to having a million dollar business. Topic for today: why RIGHT NOW is the perfect time to start.. #groupjuice #groupjuice2024 #makingmoneyonline #buildinganonlinebusiness

What are the recent trends in International Relations? The decision to cut essential winter fuel payments has sparked controversy across the UK. Here's what you need to know... On the final day of the Labour Party conference, the motion to reverse the proposal to cut winter heating payments was put forth by the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union, which marked a significant setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his first conference in office. The Prime Minister's proposal to eliminate universal payments to assist senior citizens with their fuel expenses has drawn criticism, particularly as under Starmer's revised policy, only those eligible for pension credit will continue to receive assistance, a change that has faced backlash from party. In response to the PM's intentions, both the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union, joined forces to submit a resolution in Liverpool opposing changes to the winter heating allowance. Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite the Union, was given a standing ovation when she protested the cuts on stage. Share your thoughts on how this decision will impact senior citizens. #labourpartyconference #voting #primeminister #keirstarmer #CWU #unite #union #liverpool #heatingallowance #sharongraham #spilmumbai #internationallaw #lawcollege #glcmumbai #news #internationalrelations #update #trending Picture Courtesy: Reuters Photo

Finally! Says NTIA - As Government bring an End to Costly Rail Strikes Statement from Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association: "The breakthrough in negotiations between the government and ASLEF is a crucial step forward for our sector. For over two years, industrial action has severely impacted the night-time economy, creating significant barriers for businesses, workers, and patrons alike. The proposed pay deal, which marks a potential end to the long-running rail dispute, is a positive sign that the tide is turning." "While there is still much work to be done, particularly in rebuilding the financial stability of our sector, the prospect of renewed stability in rail services is a welcome development. Reliable transport is the lifeblood of the night-time economy, ensuring that millions of people can access our venues and events safely and conveniently." "We have endured immense challenges, and this breakthrough offers a glimmer of hope for the future. It is imperative that we continue to engage in constructive dialogue to address the remaining hurdles, ensuring that our sector can thrive once again. This moment is a testament to the power of collaboration and the shared commitment to revitalising our industry."

Bringing train operators into public ownership One of the new Labour government’s more radical ideas, the Passenger Railway Services Bill, will see train operators brought into public ownership over the next few years. The government makes clear that this is an “early step” towards broader reforms, so we won’t see them buying all the rail companies just yet. Rather, the process will see train operations transfer to the public sector as existing contracts expire, or operators fail to meet their commitments. The bill will also amend the law so that appointing a publicly owned rail operator is the default. Labour says the plan will save millions in taxpayer money that is currently paid in fees to private rail operators, as well as allowing them to lower emissions. It comes alongside the Railways Bill – which aims to create a “unified and simplified” rail system – and the confirmation of a pledge to improve rail links in the north of England. Great British Energy Bill A flagship Labour policy, and the one the party has committed the most spending to, this bill gets Great British Energy off the ground. It will be a publicly owned energy production company that owns, manages and operates clean power projects across the UK. The bill will allow the company to begin investments and allow energy secretary Ed Miliband to begin securing private-sector partnerships. Labour says the plan will give the UK energy independence, create new jobs, save money for households and tackle climate change. https://lnkd.in/gw9gepSF

Growth, growth, growth! Is the mantra of this attempt by the Labour Party to win power. [SPOILER ALERT: this is NOT a Party Political Post!] This post introduces my series on party political manifestoes and the manifestoes of vested interests seeking to win friends and influence what seems increasingly like our next Government. As Regular Readers would expect, my take on these manifestoes looks at them through the lens of civil justice reform for Civil, Family and Tribunal proceedings. When another wannabe Prime Minister chanted "Education, education, education" in his bid for power Tony Blair won, and delivered, with failing schools demolished and new buildings built in their place. That Labour administration well understood the important role good buildings play in delivering better outcomes. A point also well made in relation to our court buildings. Can this Wannabe PM deliver on his mantra? Time will tell but hampered he must be by the trade barriers with our nearest trading bloc, and the world's largest economy, the EU. To increase growth we must reduce barriers to trade. In this I recall another mantra from another Left-leaning campaign of the 1990s: "It's the economy, stupid!". Through this lens we can, I suggest, judge whether to expect improvements in our Civil, Family and Tribunals system from the next Government. Smart thinking suggests steps to release cashflow tied up in the Civil courts backlog would help growth. Those steps do not need Government funding. Some things need Government funding: for example, legal aid for early advice, Court building repairs/refurbishment (though the Ministry of Justice UK were given emergency funding for that in 2022) and of course Tier 1. Again, smart thinking could deliver Tier 1 without Government funding. Stay tuned, all things are possible. DisputesEfiling.com Limited ADR ODR International Limited Rahim Shamji DDRS Christina Blacklaws (she/her) Richard Susskind Huw Evans Richard Atkinson #a2j

Roger Bootle in today's Telegraph makes the case for pay-per-mile road pricing. This is a great idea, so great in fact that it has often been proposed in the past. It has many advantages. To start with, it's fairer. Why should light road users pay the same as those who are up and down motorways every day? But more importantly, it would distribute road capacity more efficiently, leading to less congestion and faster road journeys, causing less pollution. It would also shift the costs of motoring from a fixed to a marginal basis so that the unfair comparison with rail on a journey-by-journey basis would change in rail's favour. I'd love to see the rail industry making the case for policies which affect it right across the economy and society, but in my lifetime it has been reticent to fight its corner in public (notwithstanding the great work of eg RIA and Rail Partners). I hope GBR will be sufficiently strong, confident and outward-looking to advocate bold policies like this. I fear it will be a quiescent Network Rail with a few lapsed TOCs bolted on.

The budget is in and there is a big focus on tackling the cost of living, such as an increase in NMW and reduction in Universal Social Charge (USC). With an increase in the National Minimum Wage, it will be interesting to see how this impacts businesses over the coming months.