The Leader of Herefordshire Council joined counterparts from Shropshire, Powys and Monmouthshire at the House of Commons event (Monday 19 October), which brought together more than 100 representatives from government, business, infrastructure and the farming sector.

The reception provided an opportunity to promote Herefordshire's ambitions directly to decision-makers and build relationships that can help unlock investment and support economic growth in the county.

The four councils also set out the wider potential of the Marches as the Capital of Rural Britain: a connected cross-border economy with nationally important strengths in food, farming, water, energy and environmental innovation.

Through the partnership, councils, businesses, universities, agencies and infrastructure partners are working across borders to develop investment-ready projects and address shared challenges. Projects in development cover green growth, business resilience, food and farming, digital innovation and water management.

The partnership is seeking recognition as a national pathfinder for rural growth and resilience, with government support to help develop projects and unlock investment.

Speaking at the event, Herefordshire Council’s Leader, Cllr Jonathan Lester said:

“What we are demonstrating here is that the Marches Forward Partnership is a different model. It is not a new tier of government; it is not another layer of bureaucracy; but a practical coalition of places choosing to work together because it delivers better outcomes. It will have the opportunity to develop faster investment decisions.

“In an era where government is rightly looking for productivity, improvements in productivity, value for money, scalable solutions, cross-border partnerships such as ours offer a powerful answer.

“We're not asking Westminster to solve the challenges that we have. We are showing that together by showing local leadership, businesses, academia and national partners can all be aligned with one single vision.”

“But perhaps the most important lesson from the Marches Forward Partnership is this: the challenges facing the UK do not respect administrative boundaries. Rivers cross borders. Supply chains cross borders. Labour markets cross borders. Environmental risks cross borders. Yet too often, our public institutions remain confined by them. Paradoxically, our borders serve to bind us, not divide us.”

Lisa Quest, CEO of the UK’s arm of global professional services firm Marsh, highlighted the region’s potential to bring economic growth, devolution and climate resilience together.

She said:

“When we look at the Marches region, we see a national asset powerhouse and we see the Capital of Rural Britain. Growth is the Government’s first priority, devolution is a route to deliver it and climate resilience is the forcing function of rural economies and supply chains.

Lisa added:

“The Marches Forward Partnership, which is bringing all three together, is the most commercially significant regional initiative in the UK today. That is something to be incredibly proud of.”

Ending his speech, Cllr Lester said:

“The message from the Marches Forward Partnership is simple. When government enables places to collaborate at the scale of real economies rather than administrative boundaries, growth follows. We are ready to move from ambition to delivery, from partnership to investment, and from potential to prosperity. The opportunity is here and the Marches Forward Partnership stands ready to seize the day.”

For Herefordshire, the event created direct opportunities to discuss the county's priorities with government officials, parliamentarians, investors and infrastructure leaders, and to strengthen relationships that can support future investment and delivery.