BCF Sponsors Parliamentary Event to Engage with UK Policymakers

On May 21, 2025, the British Coatings Federation sponsored an Industry Forum event in the House of Commons. The Industry Forum is an established organization that links the business community with policymakers in the UK.

Gareth Thomas MP, the minister for small business and exports, attended the reception along with MPs, former MPs, academics, various trade association members and others from the world of business. It was an opportunity for BCF CEO Tom Bowtell to talk to guests about the key issues affecting the coatings sector, not least the need to resolve UK REACH and the broader chemicals regulatory regime in this country post-Brexit.

Bowtell also expanded on the key campaign messages of BCF’s #EssentialCoatings campaign, giving examples of how critical coatings are to the UK economy and society, and how they are everywhere around us, although often overlooked or taken for granted.

“BCF is determined to raise the profile of the coatings sector amongst MPs and other key decision- and policymakers, and this reception was another way for us to achieve that aim,” Bowtell said. “We are slowly ramping up our political engagement, making more contacts in this current Parliament, and ensuring that our key messages and asks cut through. It is important that politicians know how important the coatings industry is to the UK economy and how we need proportionality, clarity and certainty on key areas of policy like chemical regulation.

“Membership of the Industry Forum is helping us to achieve those aims and, as such, we were delighted to be able to sponsor its Spring Reception,” Bowtell added. “It was good to be joined by a number of BCF member companies too, who came along to fly the flag for BCF and the coatings industry in conversations with all the MPs and other guests.”