On 8th July, Eastern Powerhouse Executive Director, Steven Lynch MBE, wrote to Prime Minister Starmer, welcoming him and the new Government in post.
Steven Lynch reiterated our willingness to work with relevant Departments to deliver growth, and highlighted that investment in the East will gain significant returns for the UK, not readily achievable elsewhere.
Dear Prime Minister,
RE: Unlocking the potential of the East of England
Congratulations to you and the Labour Party.
I would like to welcome your new Government, on behalf of the Eastern Powerhouse. We are a business-led membership body that represents the entire East of England. Our core mission is to maximise the region's assets - its world class industries and institutions - to promote economic growth for local and national benefit.
You have achieved a resounding majority and a clear mandate to govern. The Labour Party, with 27 MPs, is now the largest party in the East of England, for the first time in its history. We hope this will mean that the region, which has previously been overlooked by Westminster, can now realise its untapped potential. People and businesses right across the East of England urge your government to kick-start your growth mission, inject confidence back into our economy, and make the UK thrive again.
The previous Government supported regional bodies (such as the Northern Powerhouse, The Midlands Engine and the Western Gateway) in most parts of the country, except the East. We hope that your government will give the East of England the attention needed to help it grow and further contribute to the UK’s economy.Â
We have long maintained that investment in the East will gain significant returns, not readily achievable elsewhere. The East is among the most productive areas of the UK, one of only three regions and nations that make a net contribution to the national economy. Delivering higher level skills, improved transport, better infrastructure, and more affordable housing are key to unlocking this region’s full potential.
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Therefore, in the early days of your premiership we want to waste no time and start working on making the East the home of opportunity, the home of the green industrial economy, and the home of international growth. We want to help make your ‘change’ agenda and economic growth mission a reality.
We look forward to working closely with you and your new government to unlock the potential of the East of England.
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Yours sincerely,
Steven Lynch MBE
Executive Director
Eastern Powerhouse
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The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer