Yesterday evening, I had the privilege to join the Secretary of State for Business and Trade at a gala dinner in central London where she discussed her priorities for UK trade. While the discussion was under Chatham House rule, Badenoch shared an exciting vision for the UK which was underpinned by pragmatism she said derived from her background in engineering. Developing policy was likened to constructing a house: if the building blocks are not clearly defined, the house will eventually collapse. Focusing on removing trade barriers to help UK businesses sell more and create more jobs was at the heart of Badenoch’s vision for UK trade. Among her top five priorities were also: gowing UK exporters until we hit one trillion; making the UK the top investment destination in Europe; securing high-quality deals with India and CPTPP; and defending free trade by strengthening supply chains. Badenoch encouraged industry partners to reach out for support as she was committed to being a hands-on problem-solver for UK plc.
