WIREDGOV

Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday chaired the second meeting of the Council of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Chairs at Downing Street.

Alongside the LEP Chairs she was joined by Business Secretary Greg Clark and Communities Secretary James Brokenshire.

The Prime Minister began by thanking the Chairs for their work to help deliver the modern Industrial Strategy across the UK.

She emphasised the importance the government places on listening to business as we prepare to leave the European Union and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the role of LEPs to make sure that communities across the country are best placed to thrive.

Discussion covered the different approaches which LEPs are taking to develop bespoke Local Industrial Strategies, as well as their engagement with SMEs.

The Chairs spoke about the ongoing partnerships between government, business and academia to drive productivity and tackle the Grand Challenges outlined in the Industrial Strategy.

Attendees recognised the need to reflect the specific strengths and potential of each area in their plans and they highlighted successes to date such as tailored programmes of support for local SMEs.

All agreed on the importance of making sure that Local Industrial Strategies deliver a meaningful difference to local growth and emphasised the opportunities ahead for greater collaboration and innovation.