There was lively discussion of the challenges facing rural businesses, with the MPs providing a studied and passionate response to the issues presented.

The business owners in attendance did not waste the golden opportunity to highlight the causes close to their hearts and their bottom lines, including the availability and strength of broadband, something that MPs agreed to take up the fight over; the standard of roads and the lack of public transport in remote locations, with one business owner in attendance bemoaning the fact that poor links meant she was unable to hire her first choice candidate for a job; and the difficulty of entering farming in Buckinghamshire. The latter point struck a chord with the MPs with several speaking to the business owner who raised the point during and after the event.

The MPs Briefing event came at a time of growing consensus in government that it is start-ups and SMEs that will drive jobs growth, something typified by Prime Minister David Cameron’s comments at the CBI Conference in November 2014: “Job growth – the net job growth – I believe is going to come from the start up businesses, the small and medium sized enterprise businesses.”

Where are these kinds of businesses most prevalent? Buckinghamshire Business First’s Head of Economic Research, Rupert Waters, outlined the latest data showing that, compared to the rest of the country, Buckinghamshire is home to the highest proportion of businesses with fewer than five employees (75%), and fewer than ten (86%). Given that Buckinghamshire is consistently one of the UK’s most productive places, it stands that Buckinghamshire’s rural businesses are best placed to lead the national economy towards sustained growth. This calls into question the government’s investment in cities as a way to produce the growth they want, rather than in dynamic wealth creators like Buckinghamshire.

To ensure that Buckinghamshire remains, in the words of Dominic Grieve, MP for Beaconsfield, “the milk cow of the UK”, its businesses need support. This is where the MPs' Briefings find their true worth, creating, as they do, a link between businesses and public policy. In that regard, the business owners and MPs had much to talk about.

On the pressing issue of the event, the rural economy, it was clear to all in the room that there is work to be done to ensure that the price of land does not become too prohibitive, that food production is profitable, and that planning permission does not become too unattainable. To this last point, the fact that many commercial properties are being converted for residential use was highlighted as a key issue, especially with many properties standing empty for long periods. The consensus in the room was that the debate on protecting vacant commercial property and bringing it into use is only just beginning, though there was recognition that local demographic factors will effect demand.

National issues were discussed also, including the European referendum, East-West Rail, and HS2. On this latter point, it was pointed out that mitigation for the effects of HS2 should be fully considered and factored into the total cost of the project.

Philippa Batting, Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Business First said: “This event gave businesses and MPs a timely opportunity to talk through the issues facing rural business ahead of the long debates on the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill and city devolution we can expect in this Parliament. Rural areas show some of the highest productivity in the country and their needs should not overlooked.

“It is important that business owners provide their MPs with real life, practical examples of the difficulties they face, as together with statistics, they present politicians with a complete picture of the challenges facing business.”

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