eurealist.co.uk

Neil Herron
A leading business pressure group is challenging the Government to scrap the eight unelected regional assemblies in England, after finding overwhelming hostility to them among its membership (see member quotes below).

The Forum of Private Business (FPB), which represents 25,000 small and medium-sized firms, says businesses have delivered a damning verdict on the assemblies and would rather the £23m it costs to run them each year was spent on improving public services.

The FPB’s National Chairman Len Collinson said the assemblies had abjectly failed to communicate with small businesses, despite the fact they have a remit to drive the economy of the regions.

“Our members are scathing about the performance of regional assemblies,’ he said. “Many businesses do not even know they exist. The assemblies have failed to inform businesses about who they are, where they are and what they do, even though they cost tens of millions of pounds to run and were set up way back in 1998. Employers are telling us loud and clear that this money would be better spent on improving transport and public services – not creating more pen pushers in plush offices. The FPB believes the assemblies have had enough chance to prove themselves. Their record is lamentable. They must go.“

details