Doncaster MPs and Mayor to engage with businesses, answer questions and outline their vision for the future

The session will see each of the individual MPs for Doncaster North, Doncaster Central and Don Valley — those being Ed Miliband, Dame Rosie Winterton and Nick Fletcher respectively — gather together under one roof. Here, they will also be joined by Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones CBE, for a robust debate about all of the things that matter most to our business community.

Attendees will have an opportunity to pose challenging questions to the panel, to start a dialogue with them about the pressing issues of the day, and to raise any concerns that they think ought to be on the group’s radar. In that sense, the breakfast event is a true open-forum where any relevant topic can be broached and no subject is off the table.

Having said that, there are a few predetermined items on the agenda that the three MPs and Mayor will be asked about. These include the cancelling of HS2 and its implications for the North, how cities can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to A.I., the UK’s recent rowback on its ambitious green targets, and the feasibility of developing a university campus here in Doncaster.

Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “One of our primary functions as an organisation is to amplify the voice of our network and to make sure that it’s being heard by those with the power to make a real difference in our city.

"These breakfast sessions are a great example of this, as they give firms the chance to articulate their views to MPs and the Mayor, as well as to participate in important conversations about the future of Doncaster.

“Previous iterations of the event have stimulated thought-provoking debate on a wide range of issues, including business rates, investment zones, levelling up, and the situation surrounding Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).

Next week’s session will no doubt continue many of these existing conversations, whilst also delving into new, timely themes.

“On that note, it is also an opportunity for attendees to ask tough questions that — in light of recent party conferences, none of which particularly roused our business communities — need to be hashed out. In this sense, it provides our political representatives and leaders with a chance to more clearly articulate their vision for the future of Doncaster and its economy.

“As such, I encourage our members to take this valuable opportunity to have their say and to learn more about where we are heading.”

The MPs Breakfast session will take place at Doncaster UTC on Friday the 27th of October, and has been generously sponsored by Woodland Group.

Speaking about this, Luke Fermor, Global Head of Fulfilment at Woodland Group, said: “We are delighted to help bring this event to Doncaster’s business community, so that they have a chance to engage with their political representatives. We are looking forward to hearing all of the productive discourse and interesting questions, and to listening to what local MPs have to say.”

Doncaster Chamber regularly provides opportunities like this for its members to engage with the government, local authority and other influential partners. An ongoing series of roundtables, for instance, give MPs a chance to engage more extensively with businesses in their respective constituencies. The next one of these will be with Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, and is scheduled for Friday the 10th of November.