Dame Rosie Winterton MP Meets With Local Businesses To Discuss City’s Future at Chamber Event

Dame Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster Central, recently met up with businesses in her constituency, at an event organised by the local Chamber of Commerce.

At this roundtable discussion, attendees were able to pose burning questions directly to their political representative, raise any concerns they might have about conducting business in our city, and highlight what they think needs to be at the top of her priority list going forward. With no fixed agenda, it was a true open-forum in which any relevant subject could be broached, and delegates had the opportunity to engage in a candid, forthright conversation.

Reflecting upon the ensuing discussion, Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “As an organisation, we always strive to be an articulate and constructive voice for the local business community and sessions like this one are a fundamental part of that. They enable us to get under the bonnet of what’s happening in our city, as well as to explore the assorted challenges and opportunities that our members are facing.

“This roundtable in particular covered a lot of ground, with us touching upon a diverse range of topics that are especially pertinent right now. Among other things, the discussion spanned themes like: the availability of net-zero support; A.I. and its ever-evolving suite of capabilities; how we can more effectively attract & retain talent in Doncaster; and various issues related to planning, housing and development.

“Suffice it to say, it was a really productive session and I would like to express my gratitude to all of the attendees for contributing to this important conversation and for offering their expert insights. Of course, I’d also like to thank Dame Rosie herself for giving up her time to listen and for her incredible candour.

“We have previously said that — following on from all of the setbacks of recent months — Doncaster urgently needs to get back to its winning ways and that now is the time for coming up with fresh ideas. I believe that we were able to do just that at this roundtable and that we have come away with some exciting homework that will hopefully put us on a trajectory towards a more prosperous future.”

Echoing these sentiments, Dame Rosie Winterton, MP for Doncaster, added: “It is my ambition to make Doncaster one of the most business-friendly cities in the UK. Making sure that we are listening attentively to the voices of local employers and entrepreneurs —  so that we can learn what matters most to them —  is therefore of the utmost importance. After all, they are the ones who have the answers, insights and solutions that we need.

“It was a real privilege to attend this roundtable last week and to have the opportunity to engage with such incredible businesses from across my constituency. Lots of great ideas were generated here about what more we can be doing to support businesses, to attract them into the area, and to ultimately give Doncaster the brightest possible future. Now we must act on them.”

Part of an ongoing series of roundtable discussions, the Dame Rosie Winterton session took place on Friday the 8^th of September and was kindly hosted by Handelsbanken.

Doncaster Chamber regularly organises events like this to amplify the voices of its members and to ensure that they are being heard by various influential figures. For instance, previous iterations have convened the likes of South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, and also senior decision-makers from The Bank of England.

In addition to this, the Chamber also works with each of Doncaster’s three Members of Parliament to arrange specific roundtables just for them, where they have a chance to meet with businesses in their patches and get apprised of the challenges they are currently facing. Alongside Dame Rosie, both Ed Miliband and Nick Fletcher — the MPs for Doncaster North and Don Valley respectively — have also participated in these kinds of sessions earlier in the year.

What's more, it won’t be long until there is yet another opportunity for Chamber members to engage with their MPs, as a special breakfast event is taking place in October that will see all three of them (joined by Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones CBE) gathering together under one roof. Here, they will field questions from the audience in a Q&A-style environment, and hash out the pressing economic issues of the day. More information about this upcoming session can be found here.