That’s the message from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce after new figures revealed the economy grew by 0.1 per cent in May.
Burnham will become Prime Minister on Monday after Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation in June – just two years after winning a General Election.
Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, urged the new PM to back business – and the region.
He said: “We wish Andy Burnham well as our new Prime Minister. We’re a non-partisan organisation that simply wants the best for our economy, for our businesses and for our region.
“Some of the messaging from the new Prime Minister around ‘good growth’ is exactly what we, as a Chamber, stand for. We want businesses to be successful and we want that to have a positive impact in terms of jobs and prosperity for our region and its communities.
“So, we want the new PM to look at every way possible to boost growth and look at how we remove some of the cost burdens and red tape that are holding that back.
“It’s not an easy task – as we can see from the latest growth figures and global events – but boosting business is the quickest way to securing economic growth.
“And, of course, there is how that is spread across the regions. There has been much focus on Manchester and the north in the media but the Midlands must be at the centre of growth and it was great to see the West and East Midlands Mayors take that message to the heart of Westminster just days before the new Prime Minister was installed.”
Stuart Morrison, research manager at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “The latest ONS data shows a fragile economy weighed down by geopolitical tensions and domestic cost pressures.
“With GDP growing by 0.7 per cent in the three months to May, and only 0.1% in May itself, the new government faces the same growth challenge as its predecessor.
“The Iran conflict is having real-world consequences for UK firms. Rising energy prices and shipping disruption are increasing costs and creating uncertainty across the economy.
“For most businesses, recent cost rises, including the national insurance hike, are just the tip of the iceberg. BCC analysis shows government-imposed costs on a typical SME have risen by more than 70 per cent in just 10 years.
“The impact is clear - business confidence is low, and our latest SME survey shows investment plans at their weakest level since the pandemic.
“From the moment Andy Burnham enters Downing Street, he must back business. That means moving quickly to cut the cost of doing business and create opportunities to boost trade, investment and productivity across the economy.”
