On 14 November Richard attended a major conference for local employers at Sutton’s Holiday Inn, organised under the Opportunity Sutton programme and attended by a range of local employers. Sutton is successfully surviving the recession, but the conference was noteworthy for the number of local employers attending and the positive things that were said about the growth of employment opportunities in Sutton.

Richard, who attended in his capacity as vice-chair of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee (HEB), said “I met a lot of local employers interested in taking on new staff, including one in Sutton South Ward, a financial services firm based in offices in Cedar Road. This was a positive event at which Tom Brake launched his “A Hundred Apprenticeships in a Hundred Days” initiative.”

Our picture shows Tom Brake and Councillor Jayne McCoy, chair of HEB, flanked by representatives of the army and of Metrobank and Subsea7. Metrobank and Subsea7 gave upbeat presentations to the conference.