EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has been awarded Trade Body
of the Year in the Public Affairs Awards 2011 run by Public Affairs News (PAN).
The award recognised the trade body’s campaign lobbying government to alter the UK’s capital allowances regime to encourage investment. Principally as a result of the campaign the Government extended the short-life asset regime from four to eight years in 2011.
EEF’s supporting material said: “Most manufacturers replace their equipment every eight years, yet the UK’s antiquated tax regime took 30 years to recognise this. This made Britain a less competitive place to invest in manufacturing compared to Germany or America.
“EEF turned these concerns into a successful lobbying campaign, which intensified during the Government’s Growth Review (November 2010-March 2011). During this period we (EEF) used case studies from member companies demonstrating they were looking to invest in other countries and needed incentives such as capital allowances reform to make that investment in Britain.
Awards organisers Public Affairs News says the trade body “impressed the judges with its lobbying on the capital allowances regime. The Chancellor announced that from April this year the Finance Bill would introduce an extension of the current short-life asset regime from four to eight years. The profile achieved by the EEF on this issue has led to roundtable meetings with Treasury minister David Gauke and an invitation to advise the Office of Tax Simplification on tax relief for businesses.
Part of the campaign involved the association organising a contact programme from Autumn 2010 to put its case to Government, arranging face-to-face meetings with ministers such as Mark Prisk at BIS. Social media and active membership participation were also recognised as being effective factors in the campaign’s success.
