Visiting Small Businesses

I had the pleasure of visiting several small businesses across our constituency. From family-run shops to innovative start-ups, I heard first-hand about their successes and challenges.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local economy, employing young people, driving innovation and keeping our high streets vibrant. But the challenges that they are facing were common – they are being asked to shoulder ever greater costs at a time when margins are already tight and economic uncertainty remains high. Instead of backing local enterprise current policies are leaving too many hardworking business owners feeling overlooked and under pressure.

We need a fairer environment that rewards enterprise, supports local employers and ensures small businesses can thrive rather than simply survive and I will continue to raise these concerns in Parliament and fight for a fairer tax system, meaningful business rates reform and policies that help our local businesses grow and prosper.

Pictured with:

1. Andrea & Guillermo of Don Juan www.https://donjuansaborlatino.co.uk

2. Liz Wellstead of Rock, Paper Scissors www.https://rockpaperscissors.co.uk

3. Catherine Parker of The Refillery www.https://therefillerycanterbury.co.uk

4. Louis Hurst of HatHats Coffee www.https://hathats.co.uk

5. Ashish & Haresh Patel of St Martin’s Hill Post Office with Douglas Oliver of the Federation of Independent Retailers.