Speciality Food Magazine JulyAugust 2024

3 specialityfoodmagazine.com policies that revitalise farmbusiness confidence and deliver on our sharedmission of food security,” he continued. Soil Association CEO Helen Browning welcomed Labour’s “desire to improve access to nature, promote biodiversity, decarbonise the energy system, and protect our landscapes and wildlife while supporting farmers to shift to more sustainable and nature-friendly farming practices” Time tomove ‘further and faster’ on sustainability Food and drinkmanufacturers can create opportunities for individuals, communities and the economy if they’re able to overcome big challenges, said Karen Betts, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). “With the right conditions, our industry can boost investment, productivity, innovation and growth across our economy. There is huge scope to improve trade too, and to grow skills everywhere throughout L ast week, the Labour party won the 2024 General Election and Sir Keir Starmer became the UK’s new prime minister. Although the result was widely expected, the significant moment of change has prompted retailers and food industry groups to consider the party’s manifesto pledges with fresh eyes and outline how the new government can supercharge growth in their sectors. Here’s how the retail, food and farming industries reacted to the 2024 General Election result. Retail ‘canmake a big contribution’ to Labour’s goals The retail sector is a significant source of employment and investment throughout the country, and the British Retail Consortium’s chief executive Helen Dickinson said that through the sector’s “scale and reach” it “canmake a big contribution to Labour’s policy goals. Finding ways to unlock this contribution over the next five years should be a the country, offeringmore people good jobs and great careers in a sector that’s central to everyone’s everyday lives,” she said. “This will improve the resilience of our sector and food security in the UK, as well as contributing to food security in other countries.” Central to this is the sector’s vision for sustainability, on which Karen says the FDF is keen to work closely with government “to move further and faster towards a more sustainable food system, which achieves net zero and protects nature, while improving our environment by driving up recycling and establishing a successful circular economy”. ‘Plant the seeds of small business growth’ “Supporting and growing small businesses is good for jobs, good for communities in all parts of the coun- try and good for the whole economy,” said Tina McKenzie, policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). There are a range of policies the FSB hopes the new government will bring forward, including measures to ease the cost of doing business and support investment and expansion. Tina also called for a Small Business Bill “to enshrine in legislationmuch- needed changes to better support small firms and the self-employed.” Swift action can create hospitality ‘powerhouse’ During the campaign, Labour recognised hospitality’s role in the ‘everyday economy’ and its place in the heart of communities right across the UK, and Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said this must be followed up by action in the government’s first 100 days. “Delivering onmanifesto commitments to replace business rates and reform the Apprenticeship Levy would be a clear sign that the government backs hospitality as the central pillar of the everyday economy,” she said. Hospitality businesses pay three times their fair share of rates as a proportion of turnover, UKHospitality said, and a cliff-edge currently looms in April, when relief is set to end and rates are due to increase. UKHospitality has called for the introduction of a permanently reducedmultiplier for hospitality and tourism, at a rate of 30p to the pound. Regarding the Apprenticeship Levy reform, Kate said introducing more flexibility through the planned Growth and Skills Levy would “transform the way we are able to invest in skills.” With the right support, the sector can grow by 6% each year for the next five years, creating half a million new jobs, UKHospitality said. “Hospitality, with its presence in every constituency, can act as a powerhouse for driving economic growth, creating new jobs and regenerating our towns and cities.” Share your thoughts via holly. shackleton@artichokehq.com shared endeavour between the new government and the retail industry.” Labour’s manifesto made “crucial commitments for retail,” she continued. Reforming business rates is high on the sector’s priority list – Helen called it “the number one thing in the way of increased retail investment, which could unlock growth across the economy”. ‘A reset moment for British agriculture The NFU highlighted the potential of the new government’s ‘change’ mindset. “This is a reset moment for British agriculture as we work with Sir Keir Starmer’s new government to drive our sector forwards and grow,” said NFU president TomBradshaw. “Labour’s manifesto recognised that food security is national security, but it is business confidence which forms the foundation of this. With British farmers and growers ambitious for the future, what they – and the public – need are practical How Labour can ‘unlock’ growth in retail, food and farming As a new primeminister enters Downing Street, food and retail sector insiders share their thoughts on how the Labour government canmake an impact on these critical industries