Leicester West MP Liz Kendall has said that Labour is on the side of small businesses and supporting our high streets during the tenth anniversary of Small Business Saturday.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses, SMEs make up 99% of the business population in the UK and create 16 million jobs. Now in its tenth year, Small Business Saturday celebrates this success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and to support businesses in their communities.
Small businesses are facing huge challenges with their business rates, a struggling economy, soaring energy costs and supply chain issues.
Labour have said they recognise the support that small businesses need not only to survive but to thrive. The party has pledged to cut and eventually entirely scrap business rates, replacing them with a new form of business taxation fit for the 21st Century.
After visiting Crosscut, an award-winning creative video agency based at the Innovation Centre at De-Montfort University, Liz Kendall said:
“It’s great to support this tenth anniversary year of Small Business Saturday. Small businesses in Leicester West do so much to enrich our community, providing jobs, training and driving economic growth.
Innovative businesses like Crosscut have great potential to grow and create more jobs but the last few years have been incredibly tough on small businesses and now they are being clobbered with unfair business rates, supply chain issues and soaring energy costs.
Labour understands the support that small businesses in Leicester need, and this is why Labour will make online giants pay their fair share of tax and introduce an annual business rates revaluation, with savings passed on to small businesses immediately.
We will carry out the biggest overhaul of business taxation in a generation, supporting our small businesses while balancing the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and online giants.
We will also support the self-employed, who are a crucial part of our pro-worker, pro-business agenda, by extending protections including the right to sick pay.
Local businesses like Crosscut in Leicester West want a reliable partner in government that will listen to their concerns and take real, practical steps to help them thrive. Labour has a plan that will make a real difference for business owners looking to get on, both immediately and in the long-term.”
Duncan MacLeod, Joint Director of Crosscut, said “Crosscut has recovered well since the pandemic, increasing our staff numbers and turnover despite the squeeze on the economy.
“The main challenge facing us is competing with larger tech companies. It would be good to see small businesses based entirely in the UK get some tax-relief towards investing in equipment and staff training as we usually find that the East Midlands is overlooked for any sort of technology support. The film and TV talent of the East Midlands need to be championed more.”
Leicester West MP Liz Kendall has said that Labour is on the side of small businesses and supporting our high streets during the tenth anniversary of Small Business Saturday.
According to the Federation of Small Businesses, SMEs make up 99% of the business population in the UK and create 16 million jobs. Now in its tenth year, Small Business Saturday celebrates this success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and to support businesses in their communities.
Small businesses are facing huge challenges with their business rates, a struggling economy, soaring energy costs and supply chain issues.
Labour have said they recognise the support that small businesses need not only to survive but to thrive. The party has pledged to cut and eventually entirely scrap business rates, replacing them with a new form of business taxation fit for the 21st Century.
After visiting Crosscut, an award-winning creative video agency based at the Innovation Centre at De-Montfort University, Liz Kendall said:
“It’s great to support this tenth anniversary year of Small Business Saturday. Small businesses in Leicester West do so much to enrich our community, providing jobs, training and driving economic growth.
Innovative businesses like Crosscut have great potential to grow and create more jobs but the last few years have been incredibly tough on small businesses and now they are being clobbered with unfair business rates, supply chain issues and soaring energy costs.
Labour understands the support that small businesses in Leicester need, and this is why Labour will make online giants pay their fair share of tax and introduce an annual business rates revaluation, with savings passed on to small businesses immediately.
We will carry out the biggest overhaul of business taxation in a generation, supporting our small businesses while balancing the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and online giants.
We will also support the self-employed, who are a crucial part of our pro-worker, pro-business agenda, by extending protections including the right to sick pay.
Local businesses like Crosscut in Leicester West want a reliable partner in government that will listen to their concerns and take real, practical steps to help them thrive. Labour has a plan that will make a real difference for business owners looking to get on, both immediately and in the long-term.”
Duncan MacLeod, Joint Director of Crosscut, said “Crosscut has recovered well since the pandemic, increasing our staff numbers and turnover despite the squeeze on the economy.
“The main challenge facing us is competing with larger tech companies. It would be good to see small businesses based entirely in the UK get some tax-relief towards investing in equipment and staff training as we usually find that the East Midlands is overlooked for any sort of technology support. The film and TV talent of the East Midlands need to be championed more.”
On Friday I hosted a roundtable meeting with the East Midlands Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) – a really important opportunity to hear directly from businesses based in Leicester West about the economic and supply-chain challenges they’re facing, and the support they need in order to plan for growth in the future.
Thank you to the FSB for helping to organise this really important meeting. To thrive, businesses need economic stability, and investment in skills and clean growth. In Leicester we have an incredibly creative and innovative business community and I’ll do everything I can to support them as MP for Leicester West.
Social care and childcare are as much a part of our economic infrastructure as the roads and railways. That’s why building a decent care system is at the heart of Labour’s plans for our economy and for growth.
Yesterday I spoke on behalf of the Labour Party in a debate in Parliament. I set out what I believe is the economic case for investment and reform in social care.
You can read my full speech here
Yesterday I was a guest on the Peston Show on ITV. We discussed rail strikes, public sector pay, and Scottish independence. You can see more in the clips.
Following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak due to exposure to extensive mould in his family home, there was a statement in the House of Commons on housing standards.
By far the biggest issue constituents raise with me is housing. I called for much needed action to crack down on rogue landlords and improve standards across the board.
Leicester City Council are doing important work in this area by introducing a licensing scheme, but they need more support to achieve the changes we need to see. You can read my comments here or watch them in the clip above.
You can see the comments of Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Lisa Nandy here.
I’m campaigning for more affordable housing in Leicester West – including building more social housing – and a fair deal for people who are private renters.
I’m campaigning for better services and support for older people, carers and their families, and a sustainable system for funding our NHS and social care in future.
I’m working to help your family by pressing for faster progress in local schools, more improvements in our NHS, and continued investment in children’s early years.
