BAE Systems is an international defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London with operations worldwide. The Company employs over 30,000 highly skilled people in the UK, designing, developing, manufacturing and supporting a wide range of equipment for UK Armed Forces and our allies.

With over 50 years of experience, the CBI is the UK’s most effective and influential business organisation. Proving members with the influence, insight and access they need to plan ahead with confidence and grow. CBI represents members’ views when working with policymakers to deliver a healthy environment for businesses to succeed, create jobs and ultimately, drive economic growth and prosperity.

JTI is a leading tobacco and e-cigarette company in the UK with around 800 employees and brands including Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut, Camel, Hamlet, and Logic Vapes.  They are located in Weybridge, Surrey and have a national distribution centre in Crewe, and a business service centre in Manchester.

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the representative body for UK-based suppliers to the UK and world-wide railways. It has around 200 companies in membership who employ over 30,000 staff and turn over more than £6bn annually. RIA’s membership is active across the whole of railway supply, covering a diverse range of products and services and including both multi-national companies and SMEs (60% by number). RIA works to promote the importance of the rail system to UK plc, to help export UK expertise around the global and to share best practice and innovation across the industry.

Rail is a vital contributor to UK plc, moving workers and freight to support the economic growth of our cities and industry. It employs 216,000 people and contributes annually £10.1 billion Gross Value Added (GVA). It is also a growing industry with the number of rail journeys expected to double over the next 25 years and freight set to grow significantly too.

RIA campaigns on a number of issues, including proper funding of the rail industry, a strong rail ‘sector deal’ which helps the Government deliver its Industrial Strategy, addressing the challenges and opportunities of Brexit, and generating and maintaining support for major future rail infrastructure schemes, such as HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and Crossrail 2.