SUPPORT FOR STOCKTON SMALL BUSINESS

Today is Small Business Saturday, and Brendan Devlin has expressed deep concern on how Tory policies and a looming Brexit have been, and could be, affecting local small businesses.

He said " In and around Stockton High Street there are some excellent independent shops. It was hard to leave the interesting and friendly Whooray and Drake Books, for instance. The High Street looks so good with the Christmas lights, and much more must be done to keep our local businesses there and the High Street thriving".

He outlined some of the measures to make the difference needed, below, and says "The Conservative Party have failed small businesses in Stockton, saddling them with years of Brexit uncertainty and ignoring urgent calls to reform business rates.

"29% of businesses in Stockton have closed their doors under the Conservative government's watch between 2016 and 2018. Each business closing represents jobs, investment and opportunities lost to our area.

"Now Boris Johnson wants to plunge small businesses into even more uncertainty and worry by pursuing a Brexit plan that risks yet another No Deal cliff edge in December 2020. They have lost any right to call themselves the party of business.

"The Liberal Democrats will rescue our high streets and boost local businesses by stopping Brexit, scrapping outdated business rates and introducing more support for entrepreneurs."

Jo Swinson and Sam Guyimah have also been speaking to today in the issue as here.
Some of the Lib Dem policies to support local businesses include :

• Creating a new 'start-up allowance' to support those starting new businesses with their living costs in the crucial first weeks of the business.
• Increasing mentoring support to small business owners
• Requiring Government agencies and larger firms to sign up to a new, enforceable, prompt payment code to ensure that small businesses never again suffer because of large businesses failing to pay on time.
• Expanding the Future High Streets Fund to support the redevelopment of more town centres and high streets.
• Supporting the development of the skills small businesses need by reforming the apprenticeship levy to become a skills and training levy where 25% is being targeted at areas with the greatest skills needs.