Government launches new Business Council

By Liz Wells in Industry News 18th January 2021

A new Business Council, established to work with government to fuel Covid-19 economic recovery and future growth plans, will hold its first meeting today (18 January).

The Build Back Better Council will bring together 30 business leaders from across the whole British economy to work in partnership with the government to unlock investment, boost job creation, and level up the whole of the UK.

Council members include: Bernard Looney from BP; Ronan Harris from Google; Mark Tucker from HSBC; Dame Sharon White from John Lewis Partnership; Laxman Narasimhan from Reckitt Benckiser; Ken Murphy from Tesco; Alan Jope from Unilever; and Charlotte Hogg from Visa.

The meeting will be co-chaired by the prime minister and chancellor, with the business secretary as a standing member, and other cabinet ministers attending as required.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: “This Build Back Better Council will ensure that government and businesses continue to work closely together. It will provide an important forum for frank feedback on our recovery plans and will help ensure the steps we are taking are the right ones.”

The Business Council will meet quarterly, but with further meetings agreed with the prime minister and chancellor if required. Each member is appointed to the council for a term of 12 months.