Firms in Dorset have issued a rallying cry for the general election winner to ignite business confidence.

Dorset Chamber, the county’s voice of business, has called for a fresh focus on domestic policy and the economy – including infrastructure, immigration, productivity and skills development.

It has contributed to a new vision launched yesterday by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) called ‘2020 and beyond: business priorities for the next UK Government’.

Ian Girling, Dorset Chamber chief executive, said: “Brexit has been a distraction for far too long for successive Governments.

“It is time to resolve this issue and move forward with decisive action to improve the business environment for businesses.

“Many businesses in Dorset would agree that infrastructure, productivity, business costs, skills gaps and investment are just some of the issues which need urgent attention.

“If the new government gets it right, it would ignite the confidence of businesses so they can do what they do best, which is creating growth, jobs and prosperity for our communities.”

Dorset Chamber, the county’s leading business support organisation, has stepped up its package of Brexit support for firms but also lobbies at the highest level through the BCC.

Key priorities in the BCC blueprint for the new Government are to:

• Avoid a disorderly Brexit

• Introduce a simple and flexible immigration system

• Increase apprenticeship funding

• Launch major review of business rates

• Raise investment in infrastructure

• Deliver UK-wide high speed rail network

• Secure future of EK-EU trading relationship

• Simplify access to childcare funding

The Dorset Chamber, with more than 700 members, is the only chamber in the county accredited to the BCC.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the economy grew by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter of this year.