CBI Rival Makes Its Pitch

It
said
founding
members
include
some
of
the
UK’s
biggest
companies,
including
FTSE
100
oil
company
BP,
Heathrow,
Holiday
Inn
owner
InterContinental
Hotels
Group
and
power
station
firm
Drax
Group.

The
BCC’s
director
general
Shevaun
Haviland
and
president
Baroness
Martha
Lane
Fox
are
gathering
business
leaders
for
a
roundtable
meeting
in
London
on
Monday
to
discuss
the
new
business
group
offering.

It
comes
as
the
CBI
prepares
for
a
crucial
vote
on
Tuesday
as
the
formerly
influential
lobbying
group
tries
to
secure
its
future
following
a
series
of
sexual
harassment
allegations.

The
group
was
forced
back
to
the
drawing
board
in
April
to
come
up
with
a
plan
which
it
hopes
can
help
members
regain
their
confidence
in
its
ability
to
represent
them.

But
the
BCC’s
rival
group
is
hoping
to
garner
the
support
of
those
businesses
who
have
ended
or
suspended
their
membership
with
the
CBI
and
are
not
part
of
the
vote.

Shevaun
Haviland,
director
general
of
the
BCC,
said:
“We
have
been
talking
to
the
nation’s
largest
corporates
and
it
has
become
clear
to
us
that
they
are
looking
for
a
different
kind
of
representation.

“These
businesses
want
to
be
part
of
a
framework
that’s
rooted
in
their
local
communities,
but
with
the
ability
to
shape
the
national
and
international
debate.”

She
added:
“The
Council
is
a
long-term
project
and
will
bring
together
leaders
from
across
UK
industry
to
consider
the
key
policy
issues
faced
by
British
businesses,
and
work
on
Future
of
the
Economy
initiative,
convened
by
our
president,
Baroness
Martha
Lane
Fox.”

Five
Challenges

She
said
the
Business
Council
will
focus
on
five
challenges
facing
the
economy
–
the
digital
revolution,
people
and
work,
net
zero,
global
Britain
and
the
high
street.

Haviland
said:
“These
challenges
will
form
the
backdrop
to
the
next
general
election,
which
we
know
will
come
before
the
end
of
next
year,
and
which
everyone
in
Westminster
is
already
gearing
up
for.

“The
voice
of
business
needs
to
be
heard
loud
and
clear,
and
now
is
the
right
time
for
us
to
speak
up.”

But
the
CBI’s
new
director
general,
Rain
Newton-Smith,
said
she
will
“fight
for
the
organisation”
ahead
of
the
Tuesday
vote.

Members
will
vote
on
a
new
prospectus,
which
includes
appointing
a
new
president
and
giving
members
an
annual
vote
on
the
make-up
of
its
board,
following
claims
of
sexual
harassment
at
the
CBI
made
by
more
than
a
dozen
women,
with
two
separate
allegations
of
rape.

Speaking
on
the
BBC’s
Sunday
With
Laura
Kuenssberg
programme,
Newton-Smith
said:
“It’s
been
absolutely
devastating
to
read
about
some
of
these
instances,
and
I
hope
we
are
emerging
from
what
has
been
a
really
deep
and
painful
crisis
for
us
as
an
organisation.”

Former
CBI
head
Tony
Danker
was
dismissed
on
April
11
following
complaints
made
against
him,
including
one
sexual
harassment
claim.

His
exit
came
after
the
Guardian
reported
the
allegations
made
against
him
in
articles
in
March
and
April.

Law
firm
Fox
Williams
LLP
was
appointed
to
carry
out
an
independent
investigation
and
a
number
of
other
people
were
also
dismissed
by
the
CBI.

Danker
told
the
BBC
his
name
had
been
wrongly
associated
with
separate
claims,
including
the
alleged
rapes
which
reportedly
happened
before
he
joined
the
CBI.

Aviva
was
the
first
major
business
to
cut
ties
with
the
group,
with
dozens
of
the
biggest
names
in
British
business
soon
following
suit.

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