Nicola and Brian Cotter MP visit local businesses
June 28, 2004 11:19 AM
Brian Cotter MP today visits local businesses with Nicola Davies
Nicola Davies has today been joined on the campaign trail by Brian Cotter MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Ministerial Spokesman for Trade and Industry and small businesses. Nicola and Brian have been visiting local businesses across Hodge Hill, Shard End and Washwood Heath to discussing the economic climate and how the Labour Government regulations and interference harm their business.
Hodge Hill constituency has many small and medium sized businesses from local neighbour shops up-wards. Statistics uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show that Labour has presided over a spectacular collapse of small business since 1997.
The number of companies deregistering for VAT, which the Government use as a measure of how many businesses have closed, has jumped from 151,900 in 1997 to 176,040 in 2002, a massive 16% rise. In the West Midlands alone the rise has been 12.5%.
Worse still, the number of businesses folding in England's most deprived local authorities has leapt by up to 67%.
Brian Cotter MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Small Business, said "The Government has a dismal record of supporting small business to date, with business closures soaring by 16% since Labour took office. Labour's vision to 'make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business' has become little more than a pipe dream. The Liberal Democrats would set businesses free from Government bureaucracy. The Whitehall machine must be trimmed back and the savings re-distributed to help local businesses on the ground."
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