Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Parliamentary Select Committee, Labour's Darren Jones MP, was in Truro on Thursday to listen to a group of Cornwall's business leaders and attend a fundraising event in Redruth in the evening.

Darren Jones was joined at the business meeting by Kerry McCarthy MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Cllr Perran Moon, Labour parliamentary candidate for Camborne and Redruth, and Cllr Jayne Kirkham, Labour parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth.

Leaders from several businesses had the chance to explain the challenges they are facing in growing their businesses in Cornwall and quizzed the Labour team on the policies required to overcome them. Businesses attending included Cornish Lithium, Cornish Metals, Geothermal Engineering, Kensa Heat Pumps, Morwind, and Ward Williams Associates. Follow-up meetings are being planned.

Business Leaders Meeting (Image: Jude Robinson)

Topics discussed ranged from connectivity, especially the challenges of the national grid, skills shortages, affordable housing, domestic heating in new developments, social infrastructure, retrofitting homes, and planning timescales.

Darren Jones MP, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Parliamentary Select Committee said:

"It was great to see the enormous potential in Cornwall for UK plc. From renewable energy to critical minerals, we need to make the most of Cornwall in the interests of the Cornish people and the wider country. An incoming Labour government will devolve power, invest in local infrastructure, and help make sure every part of the country is driving economic growth."

Andy Snapes, Senior Partner at Ward Williams Associates said: "It was great to have politicians really wanting to listen and understand rather than broadcast. The Labour Party feels like it is getting there to bring the changes the country so desperately needs."

Jayne Kirkham, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Truro and Falmouth said:

"We already have strong policies on combining combatting climate change with economic growth and believe that the huge investment of £28 bn per year into renewables that we have committed to, including our new public company GB Energy, could be transformative for Cornwall. It was good to have the input of our Cornish businesses as to how we can best make that happen."

Perran Moon, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Camborne and Redruth said:

"The Labour Party is serious about ensuring that the huge opportunities in Cornwall to develop and grow sustainable businesses and to create quality high skilled jobs are grasped. We are developing an exciting plan for sustainable business growth, which we will put to the people of Cornwall at the next general election."