The airport and hotel giant have been confirmed as founder members of a new business council convened by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The BCC said founding partners would be "uniquely placed" to shape its policymaking and influencing decisions, with their actions on the council "forming part of the organisation’s new national offer to businesses".

Other founder members include renewable energy firm Drax Group and BP.

BCC director general Shevaun Haviland and BCC president Baroness Martha Lane Fox will join a roundtable featuring a wider group of business leaders in London on Monday (5 June) to discuss the council and the BCC’s new national offer.

The BCC’s five core focuses, said Haviland, would be digital revolution; people and work; net zero; global Britain; and the high street.

“These challenges will form the backdrop to the next general election, which we know will come before the end of next year, and which everyone in Westminster is already gearing up for," said Haviland. "The voice of business needs to be heard loud and clear, and now is the right time for us to speak up.”

Heathrow’s outgoing chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said joining the council would take the airport’s partnership with the BCC "to the next level".

"The council will give us the opportunity to join fellow business leaders in identifying trends and challenges facing business and industry, ultimately shaping the BCC’s policy work and putting the right processes in place to drive change, alongside our longstanding partners.”

Yasmin Diamond, IHG executive vice-president global corporate affairs, added the group would provide a new way for businesses to participate in national policy debate, discuss future challenges for the UK economy and interact with 75 global markets.