What does a pro-business government actually look like?

Carolyn Brownell – Executive Director, FOR Cardiff

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Last month I had the opportunity to join Adam Price MS, the newly appointed Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, on stage at the CBI Wales Annual Conference. Just days into a new administration, much of the discussion centred on economic growth, investment and Wales’ future direction.

As with any change in government, businesses will now be assessing what that means in practice. Beyond policies, announcements and headlines, it raised a broader question for me: what does a genuinely pro-business government actually look like in 2026?

The answer is not necessarily lower regulation, bigger interventions or more funding. In my experience, most businesses are looking for something much simpler: certainty, consistency and confidence that government understands the realities of operating a business.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the discussion was the emphasis on listening. For many businesses, frustration does not stem from disagreement with government. It stems from feeling that decisions are sometimes made without a full understanding of the operational challenges businesses face every day.

Whether it is planning delays, infrastructure constraints, skills shortages or rising costs, business leaders need confidence that policymakers understand the practical implications of their decisions. That does not mean government should always agree with business, but it does mean creating genuine channels for engagement where businesses feel their experiences are informing policy rather than simply responding to it.

A truly pro-business government also understands the importance of reducing friction. Businesses do not expect ministers to solve every challenge they face, but they do expect systems that enable growth rather than slowing it down.

Often the biggest barriers to investment are not a lack of ambition or opportunity. They are delays, complexity and uncertainty. A planning decision that takes too long. A skills system that is not aligned to employer needs. Infrastructure that fails to keep pace with economic ambition. Individually these issues may seem manageable; collectively they can become the difference between an investment proceeding or being shelved altogether.

It is still far too early to judge the success of the new Welsh Government, and governments should ultimately be judged on delivery rather than announcements. However, some of the early signals have been encouraging.

The commitment to a national skills audit, announced as part of the new administration’s economic programme, is one example. For years, businesses have argued that skills systems should be shaped around employer need rather than institutional structures. If delivered effectively, it has the potential to create a more responsive workforce pipeline and help address some of the skills challenges that continue to constrain growth across Wales.

Another proposal discussed at the conference was the creation of a new Welsh development agency. As someone who works daily with businesses, I found that particularly interesting. Wales has travelled this road before, and the former WDA played a significant role in attracting investment and promoting Wales internationally.

The question, however, is not whether we need another agency. It is what role it will play in 2026 and beyond. Businesses will rightly judge it not by its structure or branding, but by whether it helps unlock investment, removes barriers and creates opportunities that would not otherwise have happened. If it is to genuinely elevate Wales’ economic performance, it must be more than a recreation of the past.

For Wales, this feels particularly important. We have no shortage of strengths: world-class universities, growing innovation clusters, significant opportunities in clean energy and advanced manufacturing, and a capital city that acts as a gateway for talent, investment and visitors. The challenge has never been a lack of potential. It has often been our ability to connect those strengths effectively and consistently.

Businesses do not expect perfection from government. But they do expect progress. Ultimately, governments should be judged not by the announcements they make, but by the barriers they remove and the opportunities they create.