29 March, 2024

‘Together we stand – Divided we fall’

02 April, 2015

Core of the representative community

Between these two extremes is the ‘lions share’ of trade associations who are valiantly committed to their work, invariably operating with very few staff and regularly making two and two stretch to five if not six. These organisations are the core of the representative community in the UK and are to be applauded for the work that they do in trying to improve the lives of their members, often against very challenging odds. They often produce good quality publications for their members; they often manage successful trade shows and occasionally they even win a lobbying campaign on behalf of their members but how much more effective they would be if they could bring down the partisan barriers that they so often erect to protect their own interests and partner with their sister associations who are invariably trying to achieve the same goals with equally depleted resources?

In 2012 Lord Heseltine was commissioned by the Government to produce an independent report on how best to secure growth in the UK economy. The result was a document entitled ‘No stone unturned in the pursuit of growth’. In it Lord Heseltine set out a comprehensive economic plan to improve the UK’s ability to create wealth. He made the case for a major rebalancing of responsibilities for economic development between central and local government, and between government and the private sector. Within the report was a section dedicated to the potential role of trade associations, the basis of which was that the trade association world was too fragmented, disparate and partisan. He was calling for trade associations to begin working together more closely for the good of their members.

At an earlier stage in my career, I spent two years on secondment from my then employer BAE Systems, to the UK Cabinet Office. The crux of my role was to engage with my colleagues in industry in order to help reduce the burden of inappropriate and burdensome regulation in the manufacturing sector. Indeed, this experience later spawned my move from industry into the trade association world. In order to engage with industry I had to operate through the representative bodies for those sectors; the trade associations. Those industries that I could help were those which (a) could speak with a single coherent voice, and (b), those that represented a sufficiently large proportion of the voting populous to attract the attention of my political and ministerial colleagues in Government.

Common sense approach

The reasons as to how and why UK trade associations are so slow to embrace this common sense approach, (which incidentally is widely adopted by our European cousins to great effect), are beyond the space constraints of this article but the message is clear – UK trade associations must begin to co-operate more closely. By doing so they will realise economies of scale, improved services for their members, a more effective lobbying voice and an ability to grow and develop the best interests of UK industry. I would submit that to fail in this endeavor not only betrays the altruism that is the basis of the not-for-profit sector but is tantamount to failing in our duty to our members. Together we stand – divided we fall.

Note: Chris Buxton is a keen champion of mutually beneficial collaborative working. He was instrumental in developing the Engineering & Machinery Alliance, a group of 12 trade associations in the Engineering sector and the creation of the PPMA Group, a body of what was several trade associations in the Machinery, Automation and Robotics sector.




Events
 
Buyers' Guide Search
 
Search for UK supplier by name
Browse by Product Group.
Magazine
MARCH 2024To view a digital copy of the MARCH 2024 edition of Hydraulics & Pneumatics Magazine, click here.

For a FREE subscription please click here

To visit the Library for past issues click here

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 IssueTo view a digital copy of the JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 edition of Hydraulics & Pneumatics Magazine, click here.

For a FREE subscription please click here

To visit the Library for past issues click here

JULY/AUG 2023 Issue inc. BUYERS' GUIDETo view a digital copy of the JULY/AUGUST ISSUE of Hydraulics & Pneumatics magazine that includes the ANNUAL BUYERS' Guide for 2023, click here.

To visit the Library for past issues click here

BFPA YearbookTo read the latest BFPA Yearbook, click here ..
BFPA Training AcademyClick the image to go to the BFPA Training Academy website
Compressed Air & Vacuum Technology Guide 2018To read the official BCAS Compressed Air & Vacuum Technology Guide 2018 click here
Offshore Europe Journal
Newsletter
 
Newsletter