MPs' Christmas wish lists to help local businesses

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale 

My number one Christmas present for Cumbrian businesses would definitely be to fix the staffing crisis. However, this isn’t just a pipe dream on a Christmas wish list. From improved public transport to better visa rules, there are tangible actions that the government can take to solve this. 
But the most important reform which needs to take place is with housing. 
So many of our businesses are struggling to recruit staff because there are simply not enough places for their staff to live. We desperately need to see more homes built which are at an affordable price to buy or rent. 
The government must also change planning law for second homes and short-term lets to stop more existing homes becoming out of reach for local people. They also must finally put an end to Section 21 No Fault Evictions which are seeing local families being turfed out of their home so their landlord can put it on Airbnb. 

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle 

If I had a Christmas wish for Cumbrian businesses this year, it would be a proper reform of business rates. At the moment, basing rates on the rateable value of a property is hurting our businesses based in city centres. Instead, when calculating rates we should take into account things such as the value of the property itself and the square footage the property is occupying. 

We should also band rates to a much greater certain extent, reflecting the importance of businesses in our towns and cities. Our high streets are changing as the way we shop changes. But we should also recognise that there is a value to having a thriving business centre to our communities – and our tax system should reflect this. It might not be something you will find in Santa’s sack, but I hope one day it will be in the chancellor’s red briefcase! 

Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington 

I would like to see spades in the ground for all our transformative government-funded infrastructure projects.  
More than £700m worth of investment has flooded into my constituency since I was elected in 2019. The perfect gift for Christmas and the New Year would be to see these projects move even closer to fruition – aspirations set out in my plan for the constituency. 
This could include continued progress on the state-of-the-art innovation centre and the redevelopment of Oldside via the £23.1m Workington Town Deal; the completion of the £11.5m works to Maryport through the Future High Street Fund and the delivery of the £10m Workington Gateway Project through the Levelling Up Fund. 
Fresh details around the £36bn package of transport infrastructure upgrades under the Network North banner would serve to give Cumbrian businesses even greater confidence – and help spread some festive cheer. 

Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and the Border 

Even better digital connectivity. Improved broadband, 5G and mobile coverage are key to unlocking the wealth of rural economic potential in Cumbria.  

With working patterns shifting and more services digitising, our rural communities need to be digitally competitive now more than ever.  

Closing the digital gap could be worth up to £43bn in England, allowing new technologies to be embraced to employ more people locally, entice businesses and home workers and empower Cumbrian entrepreneurs.   

Progress is coming with Cumbria being awarded the largest gigabit broadband contract to date; government installing the Shared Rural Network to deliver 5G and investing in satellites, drones, and other technologies to get hard to reach premises online.  

So, this year I’m wishing that our brilliant business minds and entrepreneurs will never encounter buffering symbols or snail-like speeds again. The time to get connected is now and I’ll be working hard all year round to make this a reality.