PM: Chamber calls for 'meaningful partnership '
Business leaders in Greater Birmingham today called for a “meaningful partnership ” with new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after he won the Conservative Party leadership contest.
He will travel to Buckingham Palace this morning to meet King Charles before entering No 10 as the UK's first British Asian PM.
Mr Sunak, 42, will become the UK's third leader in seven weeks and is expected to make his first speech as PM outside Downing Street later this morning. Outgoing PM Liz Truss was chairing her last cabinet meeting before submitting her formal resignation to the King.
After being selected by Tory MPs yesterday, Mr Sunak warned the country faced a "profound economic challenge" but promised to serve with integrity.
He ruled out an early general election, despite calls from Labour, the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party and now faces a daunting task of tackling the UK's highest inflation for 40 years and uniting the Tory Party.
Henrietta Brealey, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We congratulate Rishi Sunak on his appointment as Prime Minister.
“The incoming Prime Minister has already stressed the need for a period of stability. Businesses will be hoping that translates into a period of calm as they navigate the ongoing headwinds of inflation, a challenging labour market and significant increases in energy costs, while doing what business does best: identifying opportunities for growth.
“In his previous role as Chancellor, Mr Sunak provided unprecedented support to steer businesses through the depths of the pandemic. We hope to see a meaningful partnership with businesses at the centre of his government's agenda.
“As part of our broader national Chamber network, we look forward to working with the new administration on finding solutions to the issues firms are currently facing and grasping opportunities for businesses related to levelling up, infrastructure investment and ambitious net zero targets. ”
Amina Hussain and Omar Rashid, co-presidents of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce, part of the GBCC, said in a statement: “Whatever our thoughts on politics, his appointment is a positive given that he is the first prime minister from an Asian background.
“We cannot hide away from the fact there is still an inbalance of Asian and BAME leaders who are given the time to flourish. We await eagerly to see how he performs for the remainder of his term.
“We are still facing challenges as inflation rises to 10.1 per cent in October. The war in Ukraine is still having an impact on energy and food prices. This is resulting in an increase in costs for business services and other products coupled with continued recruitment challenges. ”