WELL, after the General Election we are all the wiser and everything’s settled now isn’t it?

To take stock, we have a hung Parliament, tenuous political deal for support, the Conservative Party staging a contemporary playing of Julius Caesar and a goat that’s not quite ready to give up its skin so we can have a Queen’s Speech.

Seriously guys, the back of an envelope would do at this point and the goat would be happier.

Adding to all this, the Brexit negotiations begin very soon and Donald Trump wants to make the North Pole a tropical golf resort.

Confidence within the business community was already looking a bit wobbly and last week’s election result will not help that.

However, what will make it infinitely worse is if the political infighting is sustained and the very large decisions, which will face the country on Brexit but also on infrastructure, skills, education, immigration and security, are used as political footballs further undermining certainty.

At this moment in time, we need leadership and direction.

While many seats have not changed, we do have some new MPs in the North-East, who will need to understand both Westminster and the area they have been elected to represent very quickly.

That includes understanding the needs and priorities of the business community and what drives economic prosperity in the area.

All MPs inevitably have a party political loyalty, but for the business community who don’t generally care much for party politics, a passion for the area and the will to stand up and be counted in terms of policies, which will help our economy grow, are far more important.

Intrigue around who has got the best SPAD and the sound of Ministerial knives sharpening might fascinate the Westminster bubble, but it does little to inspire confidence among businesses.

In this uncertain world, where investment decisions can be difficult and loss of confidence can easily become a self-fulfilling vicious circle, the business community needs to know our elected representatives are on their side and will fight for support and investment in the North-East.

At the Chamber, that’s exactly what we do.

We ask all politicians in the region to do the same.

Of course, if all that fails, we can have another election and Queen’s Speech, for which we’d all be enthusiastic – probably as enthusiastic as the goat.

  • Rachel Anderson is head of policy and representation at the North East England Chamber of Commerce