Business leaders in the Black Country call for certainty as Sunak becomes PM

Sarah Moorhouse, CEO of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said businesses in the region were dealing with "great uncertainty" in the wake of the mini-budget which brought to an end Liz Truss's 44-day premiership.

Welcoming new PM Rishi Sunak to his role, she said: "It is imperative that Mr Sunak and his new administration restores confidence in the markets, tackles rising inflation and the upfront costs of doing business and establishes the environment where our members and firms across the Black Country can grow and prosper.

"We need a clear, long-term vision and this means setting out fully costed plans to deal with the big issues facing businesses.

"As the region’s largest and longest-established business support organisation, we will continue to ensure that the voice of Chamber members is heard within the new government and look forward to learning more about the new Prime Minister’s plans."

Ninder Johal, chairman of Wolverhampton Towns Fund board, said the "level of certainty" needed by businesses had been lacking over recent months. "The fact that we now have an ex-chancellor at the helm – who many think did a very good job doing Covid – means we now have a level of certainty going forward.

"He faces a number of challenges, both with the economy and internally with his own MPs. Now he needs to steady the ship and over the next two years get the country into a better place."

Both Mr Johal and Mrs Moorhouse have hailed Mr Sunak for becoming the first British Asian PM. Mrs Moorhouse said it was "an important moment in our nation’s history" and added: "This is something we should all celebrate, reflect upon and be proud of."

Mr Johal said: "This is a remarkable day for ethnic minorities in this country. It shows that irrespective of how you dress, how you speak and how you look, the UK is a place where you can excel and reach your potential."