Making the UK a more attractive place to do business

Campaign — UK competitiveness

The government must prioritise long-term decisions

Members tell us they can now see some bright spots emerging in the UK economy. But the challenges are persistent: sluggish productivity growth and underperforming business investment compared to international competitors. We are at a turning point, with a chance to tackle the challenges we face and to unite around a positive vision for the UK that builds on our strengths and gets the economy firing on all cylinders.

The change we're calling for

To drive growth, we must re-establish the UK’s economic competitiveness. Fixing our economic foundations at home and strengthening the UK’s pitch to the world can rapidly shift UK growth and productivity. The government must prioritise the long-term decisions that can deliver a decade of sustainable growth and make the UK a more attractive place to do business. That means ensuring we are at the top of the league table when it comes to investment, with a focus on important enablers like tax, planning and a clear industrial strategy.

A trade and investment strategy – increasing UK exports, securing imports, and growing investment, to maximise the UK’s competitive advantage, aligned with the transformative role of Mayors to unlock the power of UK regions
Build a tax environment that drives investment – developing a long-term UK Business Tax Roadmap to deliver a simplified and digitised business tax system with international competitiveness at its heart
Transform the planning system – speed up decisions and cut bureaucracy with a UK-wide Planning for Growth Strategy, and prioritise grid connections

Quote —

“Industrial strategy can help business bridge to a new evolving economy and should sit at the heart of the government’s agenda. The global transitions we face require us to double down on our competitive advantages. Without that, we won't reach net zero, diffuse AI, and increase UK trade and productivity levels.”

Jordan Cummins, UK Competitiveness Director, CBI

Why it's needed

As public spending is squeezed and monetary policy is likely to remain tight, growth will come squarely off the back of the private sector. The government cannot restore confidence and get to grips with structural challenges alone and must partner with business to harness insights, innovation and optimism to deliver lasting change.

We need a bold pitch to the world to attract inward investment in a competitive global environment – one that elevates the international standing of UK Mayors in successfully appealing to investors.

We need an industrial strategy based on partnership between business and government, to crowd in private finance rather than freezing it out, and London needs to be the dynamic capital for global listings.

We need a simplified, consistent business tax system that firms can plan for, and we need the government to show political courage in addressing the slow, bureaucratic processes which slow down expansion and new investments.

More than anything we need a long-term, sustainable vision of what the UK’s economy could be in 2030 and a plan to realise it, delivered through collaboration between business and government.

Managing the costs of doing business

The UK economy has spent the last five years buffeted by a series of ‘one-off’ shocks – from Brexit, to Covid, to global conflict and the subsequent energy crisis. As a result, our economy has understandably focused more on shock absorption than on boosting growth. The CBI is doing all we can to support members through these difficult times. Discover examples of what other firms are doing, and explore exclusive CBI intelligence and practical resources.

UK Competitiveness —
Reforming the business rates system
Future of Work —
Manage rising costs in your workforce
Net zero —
Manage rising energy costs
UK policy —
Boost your business’ operational resilience

Make the UK the best place to start, grow and run a business

UK businesses don’t lack strategy, ambition or talent, but all too often, the operating environment does not support growth. Whether that’s start-ups getting the finance they need to take their business to the next level, creating greater cyber and supply-chain resilience or ensuring the UK is competitive across regions and nations. We want the UK to be the best place in the world to start grow and run a business.

UK Competitiveness —
Strengthening the UK’s economic resilience
UK policy —
EY/CBI launch Powering Growth: an SME guide to accessing finance
UK Competitiveness —
Why clusters matter for regional economic growth
UK policy —
Tackling supply chain challenges: CEO action plan

Ensuring the UK is a competitive place for large companies to be listed

There is significant concern about the long-term decline in liquidity in London markets due to structural, regulatory, and market factors.

UK Competitiveness —
Ensuring the UK is a competitive place for large companies to be listed

Trading internationally

Less than 10% of UK businesses currently export. Yet exporting offers many opportunities for businesses to compete and grow. Companies that trade internationally become more productive, more innovative and diversify their risk profile – and exporting can be a significant driver of growth.

Technology & innovation —
Toolkit: Trading internationally and winning with fintech

Getting regulation right

Regulation is all too often misunderstood. At a time when the nation is tightening its belt, regulation offers a potentially cost-free growth lever. We want to reimagine regulation to supercharge innovation and unlock investment. The aim is to create a competitive advantage for the UK against other countries’ more centralised, legalistic approaches.