An inaugural meeting of the East of England All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) took place on Wednesday 13th December.
An APPG brings together MPs, Peers, business leaders and wider stakeholders on common issues and can be effective in communicating with the Government. Many other regions now have APPGs including Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater Manchester and London and it was decided that it would be a good idea to establish one for the East of England too.
The inaugural meeting was addressed by the Right Honourable Lord Heseltine who referred to the East of England as ‘the jewel in the crown’ in his keynote speech.
Key partners present at the APPG included the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, James Palmer, MPs from across the region, representatives of the University of Cambridge, and regional business leaders.
Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, Andrew Carter, presented a high-level briefing on the critical issue of the education and skills the region will require for a post-Brexit future and those gathered also discussed the need for joined up infrastructure and any disparities in the region which need to be addressed.
The remit of the APPG is to give a voice for policies which support the east of England economy and promote its potential as a place to work, study, live and invest.
Lucy Frazer said, “I am delighted to be involved with the newly formed East of England APPG. The first meeting was extremely informative and I hope having a forum such as this will make a very positive difference and ensure we are all working together for the very best outcome for our region across the board.”