NEWS:

Policy and Campaigns

The BMF exists to foster business-friendly conditions for members to trade and flourish. This inevitably means influencing government to ensure the voice of merchants is heard so their interests are properly considered. We aim to be the commentator of choice for the building materials’ supply chain.

Policy

Policy and regulation affects building materials’ distribution in many ways. The BMF advocates members’ interests to government at all levels - local, regional, national and international.

We provide an authoritative, co-ordinated and collective voice for the trade - and are more effective in doing so than individual members. In an uncertain, ever-changing world, this is a vital service (especially to small independents).

In a typical week, Soho Square staff could work on topics such as:

efficient use of natural resources - e.g. aggregates, timber and water
low-carbon solutions - e.g. insulation, boiler replacement and renewables
waste - e.g. recycling, single-use packaging and end-of-use disposal
transport - e.g. vehicle emissions, driver training and congestion charging
trading standards - e.g. price marking and retail terms & conditions
industry capacity and capability - e.g. training & skills and apprentices
health & safety, physical security and combating crime

This approach is valued by government because in the past, the supply chain was seen as fragmented, without a clear voice. The BMF provides the collective perspective because builders' merchants are the single most efficient route-to-market for construction products.

Consultation

Advice and comment is routinely sought by ministers or officials on (for example) product liability, technical standards or government funding. Due to BMF action, merchants can be sure proposals are examined for unintended consequences, detrimental impacts and wrongful assumptions to safeguard their interests.

Public officials are responsible for assembling good quality, valid and costed material (from reputable sources) to prepare options for politicians to take decisions. The BMF strives to give accurate, balanced and convincing input to strategies and policies on behalf of builder’s merchants.

Some recent examples of BMF responses to consultations are here.

Extending the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target

Renewable Heat Incentive

Meeting The Low Carbon Skills Challenge

Collaboration

In the 21st century, it is no longer sufficient to talk to elected members or officials in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and Brussels - or those in local authorities and statutory bodies.

The BMF collaborates with a greater number of partners in private enterprise or the public sector than it ever has before in its 103-year existence. This means speaking to (or learning from) a broader range of people and organisations - often outside construction. Soho Square staff will explore common objectives, forge alliances and conduct joint assignments with:

local authorities
charities
employers’ federations
professional societies
trades unions
think tanks
consumer groups

Such activity is often conducted in workshops and seminars, or at the Party Political Conferences.

Representation

We represent all parts of the supply trade - irrespective of product, turnover or geography. National businesses, regional chains and numerous small local independents in cities, the suburbs and market or coastal towns are BMF members.

The BMF also channels its members’ views by representation through other bodies we belong to. We are active abroad as leading members of both pan-European builders’ merchants associations: FEST and UFEMAT.

Campaigns

A classic trade association function is to campaign for or against something - usually to coincide with the Budget or the Queen’s Speech. Campaigns also spring from opposition to tax changes, or when legislation impinges on our members’ livelihoods.

In February 2009, the Builders Merchants Federation and others who represent construction joined forces to found the 'Get Britain Building’ campaign. We firmly believe politicians are not doing enough to rescue firms, save jobs, retain skills, safeguard investments, and build a way out of recession.

‘Get Britain Building’ supporters represent a wide spectrum of construction interests: everything from raw materials, the supply chain, specialist trades, volume housebuilders and general SME building firms.

For further information and to sign up to the campaign, please visit the 'Get Britain Building' website here.

‘Get Britain Building’ ran two major campaigns in 2010.

More Homes and Less Carbon

For the General Election, the BMF and friends campaigned on their own manifesto. Written as the antidote to the usual party political ones, “More Homes and Less Carbon” was an industry collaboration between 6 trade associations who together speak for over 50,000 firms, employing approx. 860,000 people, with combined annual sales of £75 billion.

“More Homes and Less Carbon” was issued to election candidates and all 650 MPs. It called for steps to be taken to revitalise the economy to allow ‘Get Britain Building’ members to build more homes and help to reduce carbon emissions.

As the West Midlands was (again) hardest hit by this recession, we felt it was too important to leave to London. The launch took place in Solihull, on 17 March 2010, at a candidates’ debate. Supporters heard direct from the 3 main political parties - and questioned what their policies meant.

To download “More Homes and Less Carbon” and a letter, please click on the links.

More Homes and Less Carbon Manifesto

More Homes and Less Carbon letter to David Cameron MP

More Homes and Less Carbon letter to Nick Clegg MP

More Homes and Less Carbon letter to Ed Miliband MP

Plan B

For the Comprehensive Spending Review, the BMF and others wrote a Plan B to make politicians aware of the value that housebuilding and home improvement offers for jobs and growth.

Plan B gave the Coalition Government an industry view on how it can revive construction to ‘Get Britain Building’ again. Construction is the only industry capable of creating 2½ million real, meaningful jobs and the sustained economic growth necessary to help Britain out of recession.

Plan B was the core of BMF activity at the 2010 Party Conferences, where we were joined by other trade associations to field industry spokesmen to make the case for construction.

The ‘Get Britain Building’ position is supported by research carried out two years’ ago by Oxford University. It found the market potential to renovate and insulate existing homes is worth between £3½ and £6½ billion per year.

To download “Plan B” and associated material, please click on the links.

Plan B Leaflet

Plan B news release

Plan B letter to the Daily Telegraph

Industry and Parliament

Most MPs and MEPs have little or no grasp of how construction products move from factories to end-users. To overcome this, we take politicians to visit builders’ merchants in their constituencies to gain insight into our supply chain.

During summer/autumn 2010, several visits were successfully completed for both established MPs and those elected on 6 May for the first time. More will follow, as diaries and the weather permit.

Policy and Campaigns

BMF is supporting two major events this year