A leading business representative has said that Lincolnshire employers were ‘fully on board’ with the drive to create jobs and opportunities from green industries.
Katrina Pierce, Lincolnshire development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses, was one of the people behind a key event for the business community in the lead-up to Greater Lincolnshire’s mayoral elections.
The event, at the University of Lincoln on Wednesday 2 April, gave business leaders the chance to quiz candidates Sally Horscroft (Green Party), Jason Stockwood (Labour) and Rob Waltham (Conservative) on how they would grow the economy in the region.
Andrea Jenkyns (Reform) could not attend.
Pierce said that the Greater Lincolnshire region had a very high proportion of small businesses – and that they were ‘more than ready’ to make the most of the opportunities that greener and cleaner industry presented. However, she said they business owners needed guidance in the best steps to take now.
She added that small businesses needed financial support to make the upfront investment in sustainable technology and skills that they knew would pay off in the long run.
The hustings event covered topics ranging from red tape and national insurance to flood alleviation and the future of the Lincolnshire Show. All the candidates spoke of the need for a ‘cheerleader’ for Lincolnshire to build its reputation across the UK as a hotbed of manufacturing, innovation and beautiful natural surroundings.
Shane Traill, director of Louth-based digital firm First Media, said: ‘We have everything we need in this county to be able to develop the net zero sector and grow it, and we also have really passionate and hard-working people who want to work in those industries. It feels like we need to invest in that and take the opportunity now.
‘Do businesses invest in Lincolnshire or do they go outside? Do they look at Teesside; do they look at other parts of the UK? For us its about making sure we invest in net zero industries now so that we can innovate and create jobs for the future.
‘Look at companies like Orsted who’ve invested in the Humber. It’s directly impacted on jobs, and its developed skills and opportunities for young people.
‘Lincolnshire is a great place to live, it has got great countryside, great beaches – for me it’s about how we can draw people in and deliver that growth.’
Full list of candidates:
Sally Anne Horscroft – The Green Party
Andrea Marie Jenkyns – Reform UK
Marianne Jane Overton – Lincolnshire Independents
Jason Stockwood – Labour and Co-operative Party
Rob Waltham – Local Conservatives
Trevor Young – Liberal Democrats