Construction entrepreneur and TrueNorth Capital Group founder has a ten point plan for the next Prime Minister

Mr Bradley Lay wants Andy Burnham, or whoever becomes the UK’s next Prime Minister, to overhaul the policies which are holding Britain’s construction sector back. And to make things simple he has compiled a ten-point plan designed to restore growth, improve productivity and support the businesses that build the country’s infrastructure.

Bradley has spent more than two decades in the industry and has specialised in acquiring construction businesses, says successive governments have created an environment where construction businesses are being penalised rather than supported. 

He said: “Having sat across the table from hundreds of subcontractor business owners and witnessed first hand what works and what breaks them, it’s clear that many of the problems facing construction today are entirely fixable. These recommendations aren’t based on political ideology. They’re based on watching real businesses struggle under policies that punish the people who actually build things.”

The ten-point plan calls on the next Prime Minister to:

Reverse the recent increase in Employers’ National Insurance to reduce the cost of employing people.

Reduce corporation tax to encourage entrepreneurship, investment and business growth.

Restore meaningful Business Asset Disposal Relief to encourage business succession rather than closure.

Reverse recent Employee Ownership Trust tax changes to make employee ownership attractive again.

Introduce competitive tax incentives to attract large-scale housing, infrastructure and development investment into the UK.

Replace existing SME lending schemes with funding programmes that genuinely improve access to working capital for construction businesses.

Launch a national campaign promoting construction careers to attract more young people into the industry.

Rebuild Britain’s manufacturing base through lower industrial energy costs and targeted incentives for UK manufacturers.

Increase domestic energy production from the North Sea to improve energy security and reduce costs for British businesses.

Introduce government-backed payment protection to ensure subcontractors are paid on time when main contractors fail to meet agreed payment terms.

Bradley believes the next Prime Minister has an opportunity to deliver meaningful reform by removing barriers to growth rather than creating additional regulation. Commenting, “The reality is we’re seeing structural problems that government has the power to solve,” he said. “Construction businesses are being squeezed by rising employment costs, high taxes, poor access to finance and a payment system that too often rewards bad behaviour. Instead of making it easier to employ people, invest and grow, current policy often does the opposite.”

Mr Lay says tax reform should sit at the heart of any strategy to improve Britain’s construction sector. “I regularly speak to owners who’ve spent thirty or forty years building successful businesses,” he said. “Far too many now tell me they’d rather slowly wind their companies down than sell them because the tax treatment simply isn’t worth it. Those businesses should be passing into the hands of the next generation of entrepreneurs, not disappearing altogether.”

Lay also believes the Government should focus on attracting investment rather than maximising taxation. “Every major development creates tax revenue throughout the supply chain,” he said. “Contractors, subcontractors, manufacturers, suppliers and employees all contribute. Government should focus on growing the overall economy rather than maximising tax from individual investors.” 

Drawing on his experience through TrueNorth Capital Group and SME Funded, Lay says access to finance and late payment continue to undermine otherwise successful construction businesses. “The Government Guarantee Scheme sounds excellent on paper,” he said. “In reality, many businesses with genuine contracts and genuine revenue still struggle to access the funding they need to grow. At the same time, subcontractors continue to finance projects by waiting months to be paid for work they’ve already completed. That isn’t sustainable for an industry built on tight margins.”

He also believes the industry’s long-term success depends on rebuilding domestic manufacturing and attracting young people into construction. “Construction offers outstanding careers across design, engineering, manufacturing, project management and skilled trades,” he said. “We need to do a far better job of showing young people what the industry actually looks like today. At the same time, Britain needs to become more self-sufficient by rebuilding its manufacturing base and reducing dependence on overseas supply chains.”

Through TrueNorth Capital Group, Lay is actively acquiring specialist businesses operating across MEP, external envelope and facades, and manufacturing and offsite construction. He says reviewing hundreds of construction businesses has given him a unique perspective on the reforms the industry actually needs.

“The common thread running through all ten recommendations is simple,” he said, “They remove barriers for people who want to build businesses, invest capital and create employment.

“I’ve watched wealth creators leave the UK. I’ve watched business owners choose closure over succession because the tax system no longer rewards building something valuable. I’ve watched talented young people overlook construction because nobody has shown them what the industry really offers. The next Prime Minister has a genuine opportunity to change that. The construction industry doesn’t need more bureaucracy. It needs government to stop making success harder than failure. “If Andy Burnham, or whoever takes office next, wants to unlock growth, create jobs and rebuild Britain’s economy, they should start by fixing the structural problems that have been holding construction back for years.”