Vale of Clwyd MP, Dr James Davies has joined the debate to make businesses legally obligated to act more responsibly, as part of a growing movement in the wake of the P&O Ferries scandal.
The MP met with Owain Colwell, the Community Manager of the Rhyl coworking space Costigan’s, who attended Westminster to urge the government to act in May’s Queen’s Speach.
Operators of Cositgan’s, Coworking and small business experts, Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq) attended Westminster as part of a Better Business Day event to lobby local MPs for their support in pushing for positive change.
More than 200 people attended the event in support of the Better Business Act, which calls to amend section 172 of The Companies Act to ensure that company directors are responsible for advancing the interests of shareholders alongside those of wider society and the environment.
The call comes in the wake of the P&O Ferries scandal which saw 800 employees fired with no notice to be replaced by overseas agency crew. The backlash resulted in MPs and business commentators calling for company law to be reviewed to avoid these kinds of decisions being made again in the future.
The campaign is backed by businesses and trade groups including Anglian Water, the Chartered Management Institute, Iceland, innocent drinks, the Institute of Directors and Suez.
Dr James Davies MP said: “I was very pleased to meet Owain at Parliament. We discussed the value of businesses focussing more on their social and environmental impact. This is something that many of the country’s best businesses already do, and it is important that we promote good practices such as these.”
TownSq, Community Manager Owain Colwell said, “It was a pleasure to meet with James at the Better Business Day event in parliament where we spoke about the Act and about its proposed changes. I was also able to share why TownSq and in turn myself at Costigan’s Coworking Rhyl back these changes, as a registered BCorp in the Vale of Clwyd.
“We are looking to inspire and support local businesses as well as anyone looking to start in Rhyl and the surrounding areas, but it’s vital that businesses understand the importance of responsibility early on.
“I hope we can continue to have this conversation, where we can make a change for the better and help as many businesses as possible. Our future plan is to welcome James into the hub, to celebrate the great events and businesses we host here.”
