Devolution dominates at third Suffolk Convention

Why it matters: The by-invitation summit, organised by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, brought together MPs, business leaders and mayoral candidates to debate how Suffolk can get a better deal from Government – both now and under a new devolved mayor from 2028.

The details: The event was sponsored by PR and public affairs specialists PLMR and facilitated by Andrew Sinclair, BBC East's political editor.

• The first half examined how the economy and businesses have fared under the Starmer and Burnham administrations, and what the county needs from Westminster for the rest of this Parliament.
• A keynote from Guto Harri, former Downing Street communications director under Boris Johnson and now a broadcaster, urged Suffolk to build a broad consensus on its asks, warning that "all Governments are good at finding reasons not to do things."
• A panel then discussed the issues further, featuring Lord Lansley CBE, the Conservative peer and former Secretary of State for Health; Kevin Craig, founder and chief executive of PLMR; Kate Shoesmith, policy director at the British Chambers of Commerce; and Kieran Bergholcs, director at the Rural Economy Research Group.
• Delegates, including MPs, questioned the panel on how well Parliamentarians understand the pressures of running a business, responses to geopolitical challenges, and calls for more radical reform of corporate taxation.
• A second keynote came from Gill Morris, founder and chief executive of the Devo Agency, who said devolution offered a genuine chance to revive sustainable economic growth in Suffolk and urged the county to embrace the opportunity to elect a Norfolk and Suffolk mayor.

What's next: Candidates and spokespeople for the five main parties standing for Norfolk and Suffolk mayor then debated their priorities ahead of the election in May 2028.

Tim Passmore (Conservative), Carli Harper (Labour), Andrew Stringer (Green), Nick Taylor (Reform UK) and Tom Bartleet (Liberal Democrat) set out their positions on infrastructure and skills investment, their experience influencing Government decisions, and whether they support an overnight visitor levy.

What they're saying: John Dugmore, Suffolk Chamber's chief executive, said: "For the third year in a row, the Suffolk Convention summit brought together some of the most influential people in the county into one room.

"The delegates took advantage of this opportunity to explore how we must and can work better together to more effectively than ever before influence Government and from 2028 the new Mayor. I believe Suffolk will be better placed, more focussed and able to persuade both levels of Government to help us make our fullest contribution to national prosperity."

Kevin Craig, of sponsor PLMR, said: "As a business with a 20-year history in Suffolk, we were pleased to sponsor this year's Suffolk Convention. It brought together the county's MPs and business leaders in one room, with a focus on driving more jobs and investment.

"Our East of England team works with organisations across Suffolk every day, and we see the incredible entrepreneurship and creativity we have here in the region. Suffolk has a positive story to tell and the Convention was about making sure that story reaches Westminster."

Paul Simon, head of public affairs at Suffolk Chamber, added: "In Guto Harri and Gill Morris, this third summit was graced by two highly knowledgeable and articulate keynote speakers who outlined the challenges but also massive opportunities for Suffolk and our region in the years ahead.

"Only by working together will our businesses and the county's political leaders gain the kind of cut through into Westminster and eventually the Norfolk & Suffolk Mayor that this great county deserves."

For context: The summit also received a written update on the Suffolk Coordination Office, which is managed by Suffolk Chamber and funded by the Suffolk Business Board. The office works to land clearer, more consistent messages into Westminster about the contribution Suffolk's economy can make to national prosperity, when backed by more equal funding for key projects.

The bottom line: With a new Norfolk and Suffolk mayor to be elected in 2028 and funding pressures mounting, the county's business and political leaders used the summit to push for greater unity in making the case to Westminster for Suffolk's fair share.

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