Driving positive change

20 July 2016


British Woodworking Federation (BWF) chief executive Iain McIlwee says the BWF has joined the Confederation of Timber Industries at a time of great opportunity to drive positive change


 The initial panic of post Brexit Britain has settled - there is work in the pipeline, we still have a chronic need to build more houses, we have over 60 million consumers, austerity is easing, UK manufacturing can and will adapt and in this new wave of nationalism “British Made” potentially offers a renewed and powerful marketing opportunity.

Yes there is still some uncertainty and a lot rides on who does what in the Westminster village pantomime and how this impacts confidence, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic and there is real opportunity to affect positive change.

Whether in the Remain or the Leave camp the clear message was from Westminster and Europe “we want and need change”. Now is the time to focus on what we as an industry want from the new government of this brave new Britain – how can they support us so that we are unfettered and can invest to create more wealth, support a growth in skilled employment and ensure we still meet our responsibilities on a global stage (including our environmental commitments).

One challenge is that government and, the now severely trimmed, civil service resources are going to be strained – at the time they need to be reaching out to the wealth creating sectors and understanding, there is a danger that they will get wrapped up in their own red tape. They need our support.

This is where over the weeks and months ahead, trade associations have a vital pivotal role to play, acting as a powerful bridge between government and industry. Reflecting on the opportunities, helping to measure and clarify suggestions, working with our members to help shape change and develop practical and realistic policy suggestions - our potential to influence has never been greater.

The timing of our joining the Confederation of the Timber Industries (CTI) couldn’t have been better. The BWF has long advocated that the supply chain needs to work together more effectively and it has always been practical rather than philosophical differences that prevented progress. For too often the wood industry supply chain has been fragmented and this has held back much needed research and made us appear disjointed.

Wood is pretty special stuff and we are an industry made up of an array of brilliant businesses from SMEs to multi-nationals – we must do all we can to help our legislators to understand the value we deliver and legislate to preserve this. Through the CTI, the broader consideration of the advantages of timber can be trumpeted afresh. The new All Party Parliamentary Group provides a powerful vehicle to engage with a range of MPs, who are, over the coming weeks, likely to be shifted into new, unfamiliar roles. They will be eager to understand the core issues around skills, value and sustainability and hear our perspective. The research that is being developed will add weight and credibility to our conversations and corralling the already impressive array of activities from the membership bodies will help to paint a picture of a vibrant industry and ensure we are learning from and complementing one another.

Commeth the hour, commeth the trade association, we are certainly excited about working through the CTI to drive this positive change and build a strong and sustainable wood culture and economy in the UK.