Businesses leaders back Linking Liverpool Campaign

Businesses leaders from across the City Region joined forces this week at a business summit to back the High Speed Rail – Linking Liverpool campaign.

Hosted by Robert Hough, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Economic Partnership, the event features speeches from Alistair Poole, Managing Director of NGF Europe, a global business based in St Helens, and David Brown, Merseytravel Chief Executive and Director General, about the benefits of bringing HS2 to Liverpool.

Business leaders at the High Speed Rail – Linking Liverpool campaign business summit. (L-R: Cllr Liam Robinson, Chair of Merseytravel; Alistair Poole, Managing Director of NGF Europe; Robert Hough, chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Economic Partnership; Cllr Phil Davies, chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; Mike Palin, Executive Director at the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership; David Brown, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel.

Leaders from a vast range of key stakeholders across the region, including education, professional services and export firms, took part in the Business Summit about the importance of HS2 to the region’s economy.

Robert Hough, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Local Economic Partnership, said: “Tremendous progress has been made by partners across the Liverpool City Region in making the case for high speed rail for Liverpool, showing that working together and collaboration does work. That’s why the High Speed Rail – Linking Liverpool campaign is absolutely critical to ensuring that our economic strength and the need for increased connectivity is recognised.

“Business support for HS2 is already substantial and increasing daily. We want to encourage more businesses to show their own support and that of their workforce and similarly their customers, suppliers and their employees.”

Alistair Poole, Managing Director of NGF Europe, told the summit audience: “We need investment in skills, research and development and connectivity. Being part of a Japanese company, I’ve seen the benefit high speed rail has made to business there and that’s what we need here. Smart logistics need smart infrastructure. The High Speed Rail Linking Liverpool campaign matters to my business and it should matter to yours, so please sign the pledge.”

The event also focussed on High Speed Rail and its role within the Long Term Rail Strategy, with David Brown setting out how rail schemes will grow and support the Liverpool City Region economy over the next 30 years.

To pledge support for the campaign, go to www.highspeedrailliverpool.org/business