Businesses Don’t Get A Vote

The Chamber has always placed policy at the heart of its work to represent and support businesses locally and nationally. While much of this has historically been led at Board and CEO level, the Chamber now has a dedicated Policy Lead, Philip Galpin. We spoke to Philip about what this means for members and how the Chamber turns business feedback into influence.

For readers who may not be familiar, what does your policy work involve?

The Chamber’s policy work is about making sure businesses across Kent and Medway have a strong, credible voice with decision-makers.

That means listening to members, understanding the challenges they face, gathering evidence, and using that insight in conversations with local authorities, MPs, government departments and other key stakeholders. It is about building a clear picture of what is happening on the ground, so decisions are informed by real business experience.

Why is that role so important?

Businesses are dealing with pressures including rising costs, recruitment challenges, skills shortages, investment uncertainty and changing regulations. Many members may not have the time, access or confidence to raise these issues directly.

The Chamber can bring those voices together and present them constructively and in a way that is evidence-based and difficult to ignore. Our role is to make sure policy discussions do not happen in isolation from the businesses they affect.

The Chamber runs the Quarterly Economic Survey. What is it, and why does it matter?

The Quarterly Economic Survey is one of the most important tools we have for understanding business conditions in Kent and Medway. It is also the longest continuously running survey of its kind in the UK.

It asks businesses about domestic sales, exports, recruitment, cashflow, investment plans, confidence and price pressures. Together, those responses provide a regular snapshot of how the local economy is performing and how businesses are feeling compared with previous quarters.

What happens after a business completes the survey?

Once the survey closes, we analyse the results and identify the key trends: where businesses are under pressure, where confidence is changing, and whether certain issues are becoming more significant.

We share those findings with Chamber members, MPs and councillors, local authority partners, and through the wider British Chambers of Commerce network. That means the five minutes it takes to complete the survey is not just filling in a form. It contributes to evidence that helps shape local, regional and national conversations.

Why is evidence so important in policy work?

Evidence gives policy work weight. It is one thing to say businesses are finding conditions difficult. It is much more powerful to show, through data and direct feedback, what those difficulties look like, how widespread they are, and what impact they are having.

Decision-makers are far more likely to listen when we can present a clear, balanced and evidence-led picture. That is why the QES is so important. It turns individual business experiences into collective intelligence.

How does the Chamber represent different types of businesses?

Kent and Medway has a diverse business community, from sole traders and small family firms to major employers and exporters. Good policy work needs to reflect that range.

We do not only want to hear from one sector, one area or one business size. A small business facing cashflow pressures, a manufacturer dealing with export challenges, or a hospitality business struggling with recruitment all bring important perspectives. The more responses we receive, the stronger and more representative our evidence becomes.

Some businesses might think, “I am too busy to complete another survey.” What would you say to them?

I completely understand that. Businesses are busy, and there are many demands on people’s time. But if businesses want decision-makers to understand what is really happening, we need them to tell us. The QES is one of the simplest and best ways to do that.

Every response strengthens the evidence we use when speaking to MPs, councillors, local authorities and national bodies. The more businesses take part, the harder it is for their concerns to be overlooked.

Policy work is not only about identifying problems. It is also about highlighting what can benefit businesses, from skills and infrastructure to access to finance and export support.

Finally, what is your message to businesses who have not yet engaged with the QES or the Chamber’s policy work?

Please get involved. Whether your business is growing, struggling, investing, recruiting, exporting, or navigating uncertainty, your experience is valuable.

Completing the QES is a simple but meaningful way to contribute. It helps us tell a more accurate story about business conditions in Kent and ensures decision makers hear directly from the businesses affected by their decisions. Policy works best when it is informed by real people, real businesses and real evidence.

If you have any policy issues can contact the Chamber on [email protected]