 Small business owners from around Dorset packed the Carlton Hotel, Bournemouth to hear the views of the three main political parties in the run up to the next general election. The Question Time styled event was organised by the Wessex Region of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). MPs, the Rt Hon Jim Knight MP (Lab), Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP (Cons) and Mrs Annette Brooke MP (Lib Dem) faced questions including whether business rate relief should be paid automatically, problems with broadband for rural businesses, access to local council tenders for small firms and crimes against business. The panel also included FSB National Chairman, John Wright who spoke on behalf of small businesses. The panel was chaired by political advisor and consultant, David Ramsden.
Bournemouth Council Leader, Stephen McLaughlin, stood in for Oliver Letwin for the first 10 minutes who was delayed due to a traffic accident. Chairman of the Wessex Region, Ken Moon, who hosted the event said: “It was very useful to hear from the MPs on how their parties would support small businesses if they won the next General Election which we know will take place within the next nine months. Each party appears keen to help small firms but will this mean action when they win power?” The panel was asked about the reversion of VAT back to 17.5% from January 1st 2010 which businesses say will be both costly and inconvenient to action on New Year’s Eve.
Mrs Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole said: “The Liberal Democrats would raise it earlier than January 1st to help with youth unemployment and tackle the crisis of new graduates.”
Mr Letwin, MP for West Dorset felt the reduction had been “crazy in the first place.”
Responding to this Mr Knight, MP for South Dorset said: “Any changes would be up to the Chancellor. The VAT reduction had stimulated the economy. The Liberal Democrat view to fund internships was bizarre. Thanks to lobbying from the FSB the government decided to push on internships, we’re already doing it.” Whilst the panel agreed that crimes against business was a huge issue they were split on the FSB’s push for these crimes to be recorded by Police and as a performance indicator.
Mr Letwin said these crimes were a ‘long-running bugbear’. “I can never understand why crimes against business are not captured. There needs to be a cultural change in policing and we need crime mapping in neighbourhoods and election of police chiefs. There needs to be recording to give clarity and we need to get the community involved.”
Mr Knight responded. “There are already too many targets and the government wants to reduce these.”
Mrs Brooke said: “Safer Neighbourhood Teams and PACT (Partnerships and Communities Together) initiatives are effective and businesses need to get involved with these to raise the profile of crimes against business.”
For the FSB, John Wright pointed out that only 45% of businesses bothered to report crimes. He said that businesses were also reluctant to make claims on insurance policies for fear of policy charges going up. “We were very pleased that three high-profile MPs agreed to come along and face our members and other small business owners. The responses showed that the three main political parties whilst backing small business would tackle the issues differently. The FSB will continue to lobby all parties in the run up to the general election and ensure the voice of small business is heard and understood,” added Ken Moon. |
