‘What we need now is political delivery’: FSB Northern Ireland sets out priorities ahead of elections

It’s that time of year again – party conference season. For the Federation of Small Businesses in Northern Ireland, this is an important part of the political calendar. We are fiercely independent and resolutely cross-party, and we engage with all parties because our members operate across every constituency and every part of our economy. So far, we have attended the SDLP and DUP conferences, with the UUP conference this weekend, followed by Alliance and Sinn Féin early next year. Our colleagues in London will also be attending the Labour and Conservative conferences. The timing is particularly important. The Assembly has returned following the summer recess, while next May’s Assembly and local government elections are now firmly on the horizon. Political parties are developing their manifestos – the commitments on which they will ask voters, including thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs, to place their trust. FSB Northern Ireland is preparing its own manifesto to ensure the priorities of our small business community are heard directly by those who have the power to act. That conversation is already happening at every level of government. Recently, we welcomed Sarah Owen MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, to the FSB NI office in Belfast. With economic growth among her responsibilities, we discussed the issues that matter to SMEs every day: business rates, energy costs, skills and apprenticeships, access to finance and, particularly in Northern Ireland, infrastructure. Infrastructure is not an abstract issue for business. Water and sewerage capacity is increasingly becoming a constraint on housebuilding, investment and economic growth. If businesses cannot expand, new homes cannot be built and investors cannot get the infrastructure they need, economic opportunity is inevitably restricted. There are also significant opportunities. Northern Ireland has a unique economic proposition, including the potential benefits of dual market access. Problems remain with the operation of the Windsor Framework, and we look forward to seeing those issues addressed by government in the weeks and months ahead. At the same time, we should not lose sight of the many positive stories. Across Northern Ireland, innovative entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses are developing new products, entering new markets and creating employment. However, this brings us to the nub of the problem. The parties are currently negotiating with the UK Government for additional funding. That funding matters. But for business, what happens afterwards matters even more. Delivery. We need to see money translated into projects, infrastructure and economic growth. Too many projects previously identified as Executive priorities, including the York Street Interchange and A5, remain undelivered. Meanwhile, a creaking water and sewerage system is holding back development. Those are the problems caused when the Assembly fails to act, but possibly worse is when it acts in haste without proper due process. The last thing businesses need is the Assembly rushing legislation through in the dying days of this mandate. Employment legislation, for example, must be properly scrutinised and workable for businesses of all sizes. We need legislation that supports good jobs and entrepreneurship, not measures that inadvertently make it harder for small businesses to grow and employ. Northern Ireland has enormous potential. We have talented people, innovative entrepreneurs, ambitious businesses and a genuinely distinctive proposition for inward investment, but opportunity requires foundations. If we are serious about growth, we need the infrastructure, skills, finance and proportionate regulatory environment that allow businesses and investors to thrive. Party conferences provide an opportunity for politicians to set out their ambitions. For Northern Ireland’s small businesses, however, ambition is only the beginning. What we need now is political delivery.