November 2015 saw the first networking reception for SME 4 Labour which led to the widely anticipated official launch in Parliament the following January. Hosted by Bill Esterson MP (and Shadow Minister for small businesses), the event was well attended by 50 MPs and Councillors. with the queue reaching over 400 individuals. SMEs make up 50% of the national economy with a majority of them being Labour-leaning which only reinforces the need for SME 4 Labour.
The event started with an opening speech from the Co-founder of SME 4 Labour, Ibrahim Dogus, who highlighted what the group stands for. This was reinforced with a speech from the Leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn where he stated “the formation of this group, within the labour party, is a very important step forward” and that SMEs “need to have equal access to all the benefits of the welfare state and business system. Angela Eagle MP, expressed that a healthy relationship between the Labour Party and SMEs is essential because they “craft our policies so that we can build a prosperous economy for the 21st Century”.
