SMI Hosts Parliamentary Candidates
We were delighted to welcome both the Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates for our constituency to our Andover HQ this past week. Previously, we’ve also hosted the Conservative MP Kit Malthouse at our premises, and have shared with him over the years the important work that we do.
We are very lucky at SMI to have the possibility of being represented by candidates who really get that national security – which is a key part of SMI’s work – is bigger than politics. It’s a part of our daily lives that the average person on the street may not ever encounter in their day to day lives, but is critical to the safety of the public, and therefore the country.
Andy Fitchet (Labour), Luigi Gregori (LibDem), and Kit Malthouse MP (Conservative) have all been incredibly supportive and taken very keen interest in the work that we as an SME do. Acutely aware of the impact that SMEs have on the national economy, they all support SMI’s mission to make an impact at home – through the creation of jobs in the local area, supporting local charities, and partnering with local schools and colleges to provide ongoing education opportunities – and abroad through our work in the defence sector.
We have really noticed, too, that all candidates have taken to heart our fit and forget, right first-time ethos – in defence there is really no other option. Equally they are all aware of the knife-edge that many SMEs are on, and know what support is needed to get behind these powerhouses of the UK economy – no matter their industry.
Defence itself knows no political boundaries, as it is the responsibility of all politicians to keep in mind when making any decision; what we as an organisation hope for in the future, irrespective of the candidate who represents us, is that the essential work of SMEs is better recognised and further promoted as a critical part of the UK defence plc.
The current government’s SME Action Plan and plans to extend the role of the UK’s myriad SMEs in the Defence supply chain, as outlined in the boost to the UK defence budget, are a great development on the efforts and progress already made. Hopefully we can move further in the right direction after the 4th July towards an even more prosperous defence ecosystem for SMEs which delivers increased supply chain security and capacity.
Whatever the outcome, we would like to thank Andy, Luigi, and Kit for their visits, along with their support and interest in what SMI does. We wish them all the best of luck in the coming election, and look forward to continuing working with them in the interest of Andover, North West Hampshire, and the UK.