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AN APOLOGY TO THE CBI

I begin this week with various apologies to the CBI in Wales.

I apologise for expecting the CBI to speak up on behalf of small firms in Wales when the list of their new council members show that over three quarters represent large businesses in Wales.

I also apologise for criticising the CBI for supporting grants only to inward investors when 40 per cent of the membership of their council represent businesses which are headquartered outside of Wales.

Finally, I apologise for having an expectation that the CBI would truly be the voice of business in Wales, as their byline suggest.

Even when continuing to push the argument that large firms represent 55 per cent of all turnover in Wales, the fact that it has less than 25 per cent of its council membership emerging from the small firm sector demonstrates that the best it can hope for is to be “the voice of big business” in Wales.

Sorry!

Comments

Disgusted said…
Ouch!

The CBi advertises that it "represents" 200,000 businesses but only 2,000 are direct members with the rest being "affiliate" members through 180 trade organisations.

How many direct members does it have in Wales? Probably less than 200 at best.

It also advertises the fact that 90% of the total numbers are SMEs. If so, then why the bias on the council in Wales towards large firms?

You have caught the CBI out here Dylan and they have a lot of explaining to do.
September 20, 2010 7:49 am
Anonymous said…
The CBI has never represented SME's it has always been a bit of a "big boys club" even when headed up by a woman and more so when Ian Kelsall was Director. Nothing has changed.
Look at the Council 6 may be 7 women out of 40 plus
None from a SME. If you look at the membership benefits they are all geared to larger business.
So don’t badge yourselves as anything but Confederation of Big Industry
September 20, 2010 11:01 am
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 20, 2010 11:44 am
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
September 20, 2010 4:39 pm
Anonymous said…
I carry on on my blog about your comments regarding the CBI on my blog.

Basically, as VM says, the CBI have never been the voice of business as they are the voice of big business. Ass 99% of businesses are SMEs, this hightlights why they can't represent Welsh businesses as a whole. Yet, WAG seem to take their guidance over anybody else when it comes to business matters.

facts

CBI less than 200 members mostle representing 1% of business stock in Wales

FSB more than 10,000 members in Wales representing 99% of Welsh business stock

CBI, voice of business?

C'mon IWJ, stop sucking up to Dave Rosser.
September 20, 2010 11:04 pm
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