The CBI's mission is clear as we look to the future after confidence vote: Beckie Hart

At our Extraordinary General Meeting last Tuesday, we asked our members to vote on our programme for a renewed CBI - on what we’ve

already done and what is still to come.

The answer was a resounding yes. 93 per cent of members put their faith in us.

We are not the same organisation we were 12 weeks ago. The progress we have made is tangible, and we are so grateful that our valued members across the UK acknowledged this.

We do not take their faith for granted and recognise that we need to continue to build trust and demonstrate our commitment to positive change with decisive action.

We will work tirelessly to ensure that our governance structures are fit for purpose and that our culture is one that our employees and members alike are proud of.

The strong support of our valued members sends another message – they want us to continue to bring our expertise and convening power to meet the challenges of the day. We are acutely aware that our purpose as an organisation is now more important than ever as we approach a pivotal UK General Election.

The CBI’s Economic Forecast published yesterday shows that firms are still faced with high inflation, anaemic growth and long term productivity issues. The CBI is uniquely placed to lift up the voice of UK business and respond to these challenges, and our track record is strong.

During the financial crisis, our breadth and scale allowed us to bring SMEs into detailed discussions with the Treasury about bank ring-fencing debates.

Throughout the pandemic, we took our role as the voice of business seriously in fighting for one of the most ambitious economic rescue packages in the world.

During the energy price crisis, we secured the Energy Bill Relief Scheme to help those firms hit hardest by rising prices, as well as a freeze on the business rates multiplier and changes to the Transitional Relief for Business.

As we look to the future, our mission is clear. To continue to unite businesses up and down the country and provide a collective voice on critical issues of the day. On issues like net zero, for example.

Achieving net zero targets by 2050 will require fundamental change across every sector of the economy and immediate action from both business and government.

The road to net zero will not be easy, but we’re determined to ensure that businesses across our region have their say as we shape the UK’s sustainable future.

We’re ready to deliver a better CBI, and with our members’ support, we know that the CBI is a one-of-a-kind institution in driving meaningful change for business.

Beckie Hart is Yorkshire and Humber regional director for the CBI