Gloucestershire in the spotlight with Government Minister

Following the Prime Minister’s visit on Thursday, Gloucestershire has been in the spotlight once again with a visit from the Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility.

Appointed in July 2016, Margot James today visited Gloucestershire Airport to meet representatives from the Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirst LEP, along with business leaders and local MPs.

Dr Diane Savory OBE chaired the meeting, which covered industrial strategy, Brexit, flexible working for families and the cyber security sector – a subject close to Gloucestershire’s heart as the home to the Government Communications Head Quarters.

Other attendees included representatives from the LEP Board of Directors; Adam Starkey, Roman Cooper and Rob Loveday, and local business leaders Suzanne Hall-Gibbins from Circle to Success, Michael Ratcliffe from the Gloucestershire Association of Chambers, Chris Smith, Chair of the Gloucestershire branch of the Institute of Directors and Mark Ryan, Managing Director at Gloucestershire Airport. MP for Cheltenham, Alex Chalk and MP for Tewkesbury, Laurence Robertson also joined the delegation.

Dr Savory said: “We had a very productive conversation with Margot today, and I’m pleased that our local business leaders were able to contribute their points to view to the Minister. GFirst LEP has a very good reputation with central Government, and to be able to discuss some of the issues we’re passionate about and put across our opinions has further cemented that relationship.”

The Minister concluded her visit with a tour of the airport, including the new road funded by the Gloucestershire Growth Deal which will unlock further investment into the county, bring skilled jobs to the region and attract expanding and relocating businesses to Gloucestershire.