Extra training is being provided for HGV drivers and food production is becoming more automated thanks to funding worth more than £1.6 million from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

In a startling move, Boris Johnson has pulled out the leadership race for PM, saying that although he had the necessary backing of 100 MPs (over 50 have come forward at this time, but not 100) he feels that it is “not the right time” to run for PM. Saying that the Conservative party needs unity and that Rishi Sunak did not accept his offer of withdrawing and granting him the position, Boris Johnson will not run. This has obviously placed Sunak in pole position to become the next Prime Minister, although Penny Mordaunt is said to be working to gather votes to challenge him.

Detailed proposals about a devolution deal, and what it would mean for our area, are due to be discussed at key council meetings in around two weeks’ time. Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Nottingham City Council are all due to decide whether to formally agree that a public consultation about the devolution deal proposal should go ahead. Nottingham City Council is the first to discuss the deal at its Full Council meeting on Monday 31 October, followed by Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council on 2 November and Nottinghamshire County Council on the 4 November. The leaders of each of the four councils signed up to work on a devolution deal on 30 August this year at Rolls Royce in Derby, after the Government offered the region a package of new powers and funding worth £1.14 billion. Since August, the councils have been working on agreeing a more detailed proposal, which includes more information about how devolution would work in our area. These proposals will be discussed for formal agreement at key council meetings and if approved, a full consultation would follow – giving residents, businesses and other organisations the chance to have their say on the plans for a devolution deal, which would see a new regional mayor and new type of combined authority created for the area from 2024. The deal would provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period, and would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest in the country. Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council, and David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said in a joint statement: “Formal agreement by each council to go ahead with a consultation is the next step towards securing a devolution deal. It is about us getting a better deal for our area and getting a fairer share for both counties and cities. It would mean more funding for our region, and the opportunity to have more meaningful decisions made here, near the people they affect, rather than in London, so they can be better tailored to local needs. “We don’t want to miss out on the advantages that devolution would bring, which other parts of the country have already benefited from. We’ve seen how devolution has given other areas more influence, a bigger presence, and helped them make the most of their strengths. “We want to make the most of every opportunity, and of every penny, that this deal would bring in. It could make a real difference to people’s lives. More and better jobs, more investment, economic growth, better transport, housing, skills training, an improved greener and more sustainable environment. These are the things we all want to see, as we work together for a better future for the East Midlands. “We often haven’t had the same level of funding or influence as other areas, and this is a big chance to turn that around and help us live up to our potential as a region.” If the devolution deal goes ahead, it would create the first of a new type of combined authority, which requires new legislation from central government. As well as the £1.14 billion, it would include an extra £16 million for new homes on brownfield land and control over a range of budgets like the Adult Education Budget, which could be better tailored to the needs of people in our communities. The devolution deal on the table is a level 3 deal, which offers the most local powers and funding. It would mean a new elected regional mayor, like those which already exist in other areas, who would represent both cities and counties. The role of the mayor would be to look at major issues affecting the whole region, give the area a bigger voice, and take advantage of local knowledge and expertise. The deal means that a future mayor and combined authority could:

• Work towards Net Zero and cleaner air with new low carbon homes, retrofit existing houses with external wall insulation, promote the use of renewable energy, and protect and enhance green spaces, like areas for wildlife and green verges
• Build on the region’s existing knowledge and expertise in green technology and promote the growth of a future low carbon economy by investing in related skills training at colleges and other training facilities
• Set up and coordinate smart integrated ticketing and enhanced concessionary fares schemes
• Work with Homes England to build more affordable homes, by using new powers to buy land and housing (with district and borough council consent)
• Enhance the region’s economy by developing new commercial space to maximise opportunities
• Work with national Government on initiatives to address homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility and support for young people
• Take advantage of economies of scale by using combined and devolved budgets to deliver more value for taxpayers and more cost-efficient services.

The four councils sent initial proposals to negotiate a combined devolution deal in March, after being named as pathfinder areas by the Government in February and then being invited to apply for a devolution deal. The councils have been working with the Government to develop details of the deal, alongside discussions with district and borough councils, businesses and other stakeholders. If the devolution deal is formally approved, the Government would pass legislation bringing a new mayoral county combined authority for the East Midlands into existence. The first election for a regional mayor for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Nottingham would be in May 2024. The regional mayor would lead the new combined authority, which would also include representatives from local councils, with decision making powers and resources moving from London to the East Midlands. Local businesses would also have a voice, as well as other organisations. The devolution deal would not mean scrapping or merging local councils, which would all continue to exist as they do now and would still be responsible for most public services in the area. The mayor and combined authority would instead focus on wider issues like transport, regeneration, and employment across both cities and counties.

Have you registered for the East Midlands Expo yet? If not, with just three weeks left until the long-established event, now is the perfect time to do so! A well targeted exhibition and networking opportunity, aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets, the East Midlands Expo has everything you require for a great day of business generation, with the chance to meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road. Taking place at East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham on Monday 14 November 2022, the free to attend expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will begin with exhibitor breakfast networking, with the exhibition opening to attendees at 9am. A seminar will take place between 10:45am and noon with BSP Consulting’s directors Mark Rayers and Tony Goddard lined up to present ‘Sustainability and how engineering plays its part’. Not to be missed, a special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.

For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.

To register to attend the event for free click here.

To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.

From property agents to developers, architects, contractors, investors, PR firms, and more, see the list of current exhibitors here.

Pendragon, the Nottingham-headquartered car giant has been hacked by an organised crime gang and held to ransom for over £50m The gang claim to have lifted more than two million files and in an interview by the Times newspaper with Pendragon, who admitted they had received evidence of the stolen data. The firm issued a series of security updates on 21st October revealing it was “currently responding to an IT security incident” which reportedly happened a month ago and which has been reported to the National Cyber Security Centre and the police. LockBit 3.0 has been accused as the organisation behind the cyber breach but has not indicated what their reason is for threatening to publish the 2 terabytes of stolen data. The perpetrators are said to have demanded $60m in ransom, via bitcoin, or face the consequences of the data being released onto the dark web. The retailer said it had taken “immediate steps” to contain the incident and revealed it had successfully obtained an interim injunction from the High Court against the group. Pendragon’s Chief Marketing Officer Kim Costello told The Times the company “will not be paying the ransom demand.”