Press release - BCF sponsors Parliamentary event to engage with policymakers

IMAGES: (1) BCF CEO Tom Bowtell addressing delegates at The Industry Forum; (2) Tom Bowtell in discussion with Gareth Thomas MP, Minister for Small Business and Exports

On Wednesday 21st May, the British Coatings Federation sponsored an Industry Forum event in the House of Commons.

The Industry Forum is an established organisation that links the business community with policymakers in the UK.

The Minister for Small Business and Exports, Gareth Thomas MP, attended the reception along with MPs, former MPs, academics, various trade association members and others from the world of business. It was an opportunity for BCF CEO, Tom Bowtell, to talk to guests about the key issues affecting the coatings sector, not least the need to resolve UK REACH and the broader chemicals regulatory regime in this country post-Brexit.

Tom also expanded on the key campaign messages of BCF’s #EssentialCoatings campaign, giving examples of how critical coatings are to the UK economy and society, and how they are everywhere around us, although often overlooked or taken for granted.

You can read more about our Essential Coatings campaign here: https://coatings.org.uk/page/EssentialCoatings 

Commenting after the event, BCF CEO, Tom Bowtell, said:

“BCF is determined to raise the profile of the coatings sector amongst MPs and other key decision- and policymakers, and this reception was another way for us to achieve that aim. We are slowly ramping up our political engagement, making more contacts in this current Parliament, and ensuring that our key messages and asks cut through. It is important that politicians know how important the coatings industry is to the UK economy and how we need proportionality, clarity and certainty on key areas of policy like chemical regulation.

“Membership of the Industry Forum is helping us to achieve those aims and, as such, we were delighted to be able to sponsor its Spring Reception. It was good to be joined by a number of BCF member companies too, who came along to fly the flag for BCF and the coatings industry in conversations with all the MPs and other guests.”

ENDS 

Notes to editors:

About BCF

 The British Coatings Federation is the Trade Association for the UK’s coatings industry, representing the manufacturers of paint, specialist coatings, printing inks, and wallcoverings in the UK. The coatings sector is a British success story that creates jobs, contributes to the economy and sells to the rest of the world. It is a proud net exporter that contributes £4 billion a year to the UK economy, directly employing 14,000 people. Moreover, other important industries downstream worth around £300 billion per annum to the UK rely on our coatings, with a further 300,000 people employed in using or applying them.

The BCF helps its members to better understand the news rules and regulations emerging from Government and lobbies on various issues of concern to the businesses working in this area. It also shows leadership across the sector, pushing for and supporting modernisation and change in areas such as sustainability and Diversity and Inclusion. Some of its campaigning is also focussed on informing consumers, as they often have a role to play too in making sure products are used or disposed of in a safe and appropriate way.

BCF’S Essential Coatings report was first launched in December 2023 and highlights the breadth of applications of the coatings sector and its critical contribution to a wide range of advanced industries, the BCF said a holistic approach is needed to ensure a bright future for UK manufacturing.

Essential Coatings’ case studies are divided into four key themes that demonstrate the value of the UK coatings sector:

• Essentiality – coatings are everywhere, in and on everything and critical to the functioning of daily life.
• Liveability – coatings protect, enrich and enhance the beauty of the world around us, and enable communication and self-expression.
• Sustainability – coatings play an essential role in the transition to a sustainable future: prolonging the life of goods, vehicles and infrastructure; protecting and enabling renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels; and helping improve fuel efficiency.
• Economy – the sector is one of the country’s manufacturing success stories: a net exporter, a generator of jobs and an integral contributor to the UK economy.

The BCF’s key asks of Government:

1. A proportionate, clear and consistent regulatory environment
2. An industrial strategy to support manufacturing
3. Support for the transition to a more sustainable UK
4. Improving post-Brexit trade
5. Long-term focus on skills and training