Senior Government figures meet Suffolk business delegation

Dozens of Suffolk businesses took full advantage of a recent opportunity to meet senior Government ministers at a Parliamentary event organised by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and Jack Abbott MP.

The Suffolk Business Showcase 2026 brought together a range of Suffolk Chamber’s members across all the key sectors in the county with Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon. Darren Jones MP, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, Rt. Hon. Lisa Nandy MP and Blair McDougall MP, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation. Bill Esterson, chair of the Energy Security & Net Zero Select Committee also dropped in to meet with the Suffolk delegation.

John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber, said: “Getting 40-plus senior Suffolk business leaders, responsible collectively for organisations worth hundreds of millions of pounds and employing hundreds of thousands of people, was quite something. We felt that the whole afternoon was all about delivering a common purpose: to explain and highlight Suffolk’s enormously successful contribution to national growth and prosperity.”

“Many thanks to Jack and his team for securing such a senior cohort of frontbenchers, all of whom spent time listening to key business issues.”

Jack Abbott MP was equally pleased by the success of the event: “I was delighted to welcome more than 40 leaders from across Suffolk to Parliament, and to introduce them to a number of senior Government Ministers. This was a chance for Suffolk businesses and organisations to communicate some of the challenges facing their sectors, as well as showcasing their contribution to jobs, investment and the economy.

"The event demonstrated the strength and ambition of our county, and reflected our Government’s determination to engage directly with Suffolk organisations and work with them to deliver real outcomes on skills, infrastructure and growth, both locally, and nationally.

"I will continue to secure opportunities like this to ensure Suffolk’s voice is heard at the highest level.”

Paul Ager, divisional port manager at Associated British Ports (ABP), added: 

"This event gave us a unique opportunity to showcase the breadth and capability of ABP's ports across East Anglia and the role they play in supporting economic growth and national infrastructure. Our discussions focused on how ports such as Lowestoft and Ipswich support major energy projects, including Sizewell C and offshore wind, alongside regional supply chains and skilled employment.

“East Anglia continues to lead in offshore renewables and low-carbon project delivery, and ABP’s ports support the businesses and supply chains making that progress possible.”

The Suffolk Business Showcase 2026 also included displays of the Chamber’s work in boosting business growth, including via the Sizewell C supply chain, the Norfolk & Suffolk Local Skills Improvement Plan and its international trade services.

As one of the largest chambers in the British Chambers of Commerce, Suffolk Chamber organises a wide range of events in the Houses of Parliament as part of its own going efforts to represent the county’s business community to Government and to opposition parties.