The work done by SME4LABOUR in working alongside small businesses has been absolutely fantastic, especially throughout the pandemic.
The past year has been extremely difficult for small, medium, micro sized businesses as well as the self employed, who have had to get by with little guidance and insufficient support from the government.
In constituencies like mine and many others up and down the country this is a familiar story dating back way before the outbreak of COVID. A decade of austerity and cuts has crippled small businesses and the high street, hollowing out town centres and leaving thousands unemployed.
SME4LABOUR’s work highlighting the issues faced by these businesses continue to inform the parties economic policy, and their work to tirelessly develop and maintain relationships between the Labour Party and small businesses has been invaluable.
It is time these independent businesses as well as the self employed got a fair deal, and the work by SME4LABOUR is going a long way towards making that happen.
Ian Lavery MP
Member of Parliament for Wansbeck
Former Chair of the Labour Party