At the launch in Parliament of the East of England All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) submission to this year’s budget in September, MPs from across the East of England and from all political parties have called for:
The huge potential of the East of England to contribute to UK prosperity to be better reflected in Government’s thinking, its priorities and in its investment plans.
Government to ensure East of England receives a fair share of infrastructure investment – to maintain global competitiveness and continue its net contribution to the Treasury
Greater devolution – to local authorities, Sub National Transport bodies and to LEPs as well as at the region-wide level on some strategic issues.
The Budget submission, entitled ‘Building together the foundations of more productivity, prosperity and inclusivity in the East of England’ represents nine months’ work of the APPG and sets out how the Government can help the region’s ambitions to create an even stronger and more inclusive economy.
It is co-signed by the APPG officers, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the region’s LEPs, and all supporters of the APPG including the East of England LGA, British Sugar, London Stansted Airport, the A120 campaign, Astra Zeneca and Anglian Water.
Doug Field, chair of New Anglia LEP, said “It was great to see the collaboration from today’s East of England APPG budget submission launch as we work with the other stakeholders to deliver a more productive, prosperous and inclusive East of England. As we look to supercharge the local economy we need to work together to face up to the challenges and opportunities the future holds.”
Peter Aldous, MP for Waveney and Co-chair of the APPG, said “The East of England is the UK’s jobs powerhouse. It is one of the country’s fastest growing regions, both in population and economy. There has been significant investment in recent years, though there is a need to better recognise the region’s importance and untapped potential, including the fact that it is one of only three UK regions to contribute more in tax than it receives in public money. The East of England is at the forefront of global excellence and innovation – and a front-runner in attracting business.”
