Policy advocacy on constitutional protection and fair funding
2024-01-01
The CBI represents some of Wales' largest employers and investors. Its support for a Constitutional Reform Act to legally protect the Senedd reflects the business community's recognition that constitutional uncertainty is a risk factor for investment and economic planning.
CBI Wales's support for a Constitutional Reform Act represents perhaps the most establishment-oriented endorsement of devolution reform. The CBI is the UK's largest business lobby group, and its Welsh branch calling for legal protection for the Senedd sends a powerful signal that constitutional stability is a business priority. The organisation's argument is framed entirely in economic terms: businesses need to know that the regulatory environment in which they operate won't be arbitrarily changed by Westminster, that the Senedd's powers to set taxes and design business support will endure, and that the fiscal framework governing Welsh Government funding will be fair and predictable. By supporting fair financial frameworks alongside constitutional protection, CBI Wales acknowledges that devolution's economic potential can only be realised if it rests on stable constitutional foundations. This alignment between big business and constitutional reform challenges the anti-devolution narrative that the Senedd is a burden on the economy.