On Monday in Parliament the MP for Hove, Peter Kyle made a short statement about the extent to which businesses are concerned about struggling post Brexit followed by a couple of questions. Although he did not mention the challenges of the last 28 months, the reality is that for many businesses the impact since the referendum has already been significant. However as we all know, so far we have not yet left. However if we leave many businesses potentially will face much bigger challenges. Some of those that export to the EU will and those of us that import from the EU will and nothing that has come out from the Government suggests that any new trade arrangements will compensate for these losses. One of the areas which has featured in the claims post the referendum and indeed featured in the Vote Leave promises was that training will be enhanced across the UK to increase the prospect of UK citizens gaining new skills. Now the need for skill training available for businesses, particularly amongst the SME sector has been regularly talked about long before Brexit was ever considered. The ongoing failure of Governments to offer training provision in a manner that is a very poor fit for the business community is widely recognised by both training establishments and companies, the only blindspot is in the eyes of the Government. However this is now seen as an even more vital matter as skilled workers from overseas are departing in significant numbers and their potential replacements are choosing not to apply for jobs in the UK. Large Companies with a payroll of more than £3m have been paying out a training levy since April 2017 and many are struggling to make this work for them. The second tier promise to small businesses that they too could benefit from the levy has failed to emerge even though it was promised for May 2017. Perhaps the claim by Theresa May that she is listening to business could be challenged by the next MP who gets a chance to ask her a credible question? The business I am part of has been asking our MP who also happens to be a Minister to visit us since she was elected. We have once met her at a Chamber of Commerce event and in the Summer she agree to come to meet us and offered a couple of dates which she then postponed and we are now waiting for the fourth proposed date next month. We know that Governments listen to businesses that donate to their parties very well, indeed we were invited to do so earlier this year and although I complained to our MP she chose not to respond to the email and we know they like speaking to businesses at events, but listening to business – that requires a very different set of skills and priorities, perhaps this Government needs some training and a change in their attitude!