A European Union that works for British business
皇冠体育app Business Secretary calls on the Confederation of British Industry to support the Prime Minister鈥檚 European Union renegotiation.
Thank you, John for inviting me, and thank you for accommodating my change in schedule.
Congratulations to both Paul Drechsler for his appointment as President, and to Carolyn Fairbairn for her appointment as Director General.
I鈥檓 sure you鈥檙e going to enjoy your terms, and I鈥檓 certainly looking forward to working with you both.
Travelling here tonight I realised that I鈥檓 the first Conservative Business Secretary to address a CBI get-together since Ian Lang.
It鈥檚 been far too long, but it鈥檚 certainly good to be back.
A few things have changed since Ian鈥檚 day.
I鈥檓 fairly sure that he would never have attended a CBI dinner immediately after getting back from Glastonbury!
It seems you can take the minister out of culture, but you can鈥檛 take culture out of the minister鈥�
皇冠体育app audience here tonight couldn鈥檛 be more different from the crowd at Worthy Farm.
One is all well-off, middle-aged businessmen enjoying expensive food and discussing their stock portfolios.
And the other is CBI members and their guests!
Of course, the cultural habits of the Business Secretary are not the only thing to have changed of late.
Just look at the economy.
In 2010, we faced a stark challenge 鈥� to pull Britain back from the brink.
皇冠体育app country was sinking under a host of unwanted records:
鈥he worst recession in almost a century鈥�
鈥� the biggest budget deficit since the Second World War鈥�
鈥he world鈥檚 largest bank bailout.
Five years on, the picture is very different.
We鈥檝e gone from a record-breaking recession to record-breaking employment.
皇冠体育app deficit, as a proportion of GDP, has been cut in half.
Our economy is growing faster than anywhere else in the G7.
And the UK has created more jobs in the last 5 years than the rest of the EU put together.
Now, it鈥檚 traditional for politicians to stand up at events and claim all the credit.
To boast about the economic miracle performed by the government.
And it鈥檚 true that we鈥檝e done a lot to help.
Cutting 拢10 billion of regulation鈥�
鈥� lowering taxes鈥�
鈥lashing the deficit.
But the real hero is British business.
And when I say 鈥楤ritish business鈥� I鈥檓 not just talking about a handful of senior executives.
I mean everyone who has played a role in turning the economy around.
Employers and employees鈥�
鈥uge corporations and sole traders鈥�
鈥etailers and manufacturers and everything in between.
It was business that did the hard work鈥�
鈥usiness that delivered for Britain鈥�
鈥usiness that changed millions of lives for the better in every corner of the country.
So thanks to people like you, in 2015 the task before us is very different.
Our challenge now is to secure the progress we鈥檝e made.
To build on it, to make Britain a more productive nation and the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 going to pass the Enterprise Bill, cutting red tape freeing businesses.
That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e creating 3 million new apprenticeships, giving British workers the skills they need to compete in a global market.
That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e delivering reliable and affordable energy for businesses and homes鈥�
鈥reezing National Insurance contributions for employers and employees鈥�
鈥� and providing free child care for millions of working parents.
And that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e negotiating a better deal for Britain in Europe.
I know this is something the CBI desperately wants to see.
You have never been shy about highlighting the ways in which the EU can hamper and undermine British business.
Here鈥檚 3 quotes:
鈥溁使谔逵齛pp likely effect of many of Brussels鈥� current proposals will be to damage the UK鈥檚 prospects for growth.鈥�
That was John, speaking in 2011.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want a situation where smaller firms are saddled with poorly thought-out EU regulations which impede their ability to grow.鈥�
So said Katja in 2013.
鈥溁使谔逵齛pp European Parliament鈥檚 decision 鈥� is bad for business 鈥� it will make it harder for firms to grow and export across Europe.鈥�
That was Sean McGuire, your man in Brussels, in a statement made 4 years ago.
皇冠体育appse are all valid complaints, all concerns I share.
皇冠体育appy鈥檙e exactly the kind of points the CBI should be making to defend the interests of its members.
And they鈥檙e exactly the kind of issues this government is tackling during the current renegotiation.
So imagine my surprise last month, when I attended an event much like this one and heard that the CBI thinks the UK should remain in the European Union no matter what.
That the people of Britain should vote to stay in regardless of whether or not the Prime Minister wins the concessions that British business so badly needs.
That none of the concerns the CBI has raised over the years are actually that significant.
Of course you鈥檙e entirely free to come to that conclusion.
But does it really make sense to say, so early in the process:
鈥� 鈥榯he rules of this club need to change鈥�
鈥� but don鈥檛 worry, we鈥檒l always be members no matter what happens?鈥�
You鈥檙e some of Britain鈥檚 most respected, most successful business leaders.
You know how negotiation works.
You wouldn鈥檛 dream of sitting down at the start of a merger or acquisition and鈥�
鈥ike a poker player showing his hand to the table鈥�
鈥� announcing exactly what terms you were prepared to accept.
It doesn鈥檛 work in the boardroom and it won鈥檛 work in Brussels.
And that鈥檚 not just my view.
皇冠体育app Guardian is hardly known for its pro-business, Eurosceptic editorial line.
But even its financial editor warned that the CBI鈥檚 position 鈥渨ill be exploited by any half-alert EU politician or Brussels bureaucrat.鈥�
Now it would be easy to argue that a great many EU politicians and Brussels bureaucrats are not even half alert!
But the handful that are will have seized upon the CBI鈥檚 stance and will use it to fight the Prime Minister all the way as he seeks lasting reform.
And make no mistake, the reforms we seek are the reforms your members need.
An expanding market that liberalises new sectors will benefit British entrepreneurs.
An EU open to trade, concluding ambitious deals with America, China and Japan will benefit all British businesses and consumers.
And, as the Prime Minister has said before, this renegotiation will not just benefit Britain.
It will benefit the whole of the EU too.
So we agree, we want to see reform.
We will make the case to European governments.
But we hope you will make the case to European businesses, striking alliances for reform, calling on other governments to back change.
Look at the stance taken by the Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce.
Like the CBI, the IoD and BCC are great cheerleaders for British business.
Like the CBI, they want the renegotiation process to deliver genuine reform.
But unlike the CBI, they鈥檙e waiting until that process is complete before recommending how to vote in the referendum.
When the IoD polled its members, 60% said that staying in the EU will only benefit their businesses IF there are major reforms to employment and company law.
And as the BCC鈥檚 John Longworth said last week, 鈥溁使谔逵齛pp business community cannot make a decision on the EU until it knows 鈥� what will be negotiated鈥�.
For decades the CBI has been a champion of British business, and any friend of British business is a friend of mine.
But best friends are not afraid to be straight with each other.
So I鈥檇 urge everyone at the CBI, including your new President and new Director General, to think very carefully about what you want to achieve in the months ahead.
皇冠体育app Prime Minister鈥檚 goal is Britain in a reformed EU with the issues British people want resolved, fixed for good.
And Brussels is sitting up and paying attention.
We have a unique opportunity to build a better European Union.
A European Union that genuinely delivers for British business and for British workers.
That allows your companies to trade and grow and create jobs freely鈥�
鈥reaking down the bureaucratic barriers that the CBI has fought so hard against for so long.
This opportunity has only come about thanks to the deadline of the in/out referendum.
And it is only the possibility of a British exit that will allow us to deliver the change we need.
So ask yourselves, do you want to be part of this process?
Do you want to seize this chance to fix what doesn鈥檛 work so we can continue to enjoy what does?
Do you want to take real action to tackle the problems you have done so much to highlight?
皇冠体育app concessions the Prime Minister is seeking will not easily be won.
No politicians, no bureaucracy, ever gave up power without a fight, and the European Union is no different.
Those of us who want change must work together.
We must speak with one voice.
And we must be unafraid to say that we could walk away if Brussels refuses to compromise.
皇冠体育app reform your members have long demanded is almost within our grasp.
With the CBI鈥檚 support, I know we can reach out and bring it home for the people of Britain.
Thank you.