Survey reveals dissafection with Government among local business leaders
11th January 2010
A survey of Stourbridge based companies undertaken by Margot James asked respondents about Government attitudes to the Black Country and help for small and medium sized businesses.
Of the fifty firms that took part in the survey over 80% felt that the Government did not understand the needs of the Black Country.
The government has trumpeted various initiatives announced during the recession to help small and medium sized businesses. Respondents were asked if they were aware of six such initiatives. Awareness was less than 50% for all of the schemes and less than a third for four of the schemes. Strikingly only one out of the six schemes, ‘Train to Gain,’ had benefited any local companies at all.
There are signs that the worst of the recession is coming to an end. Whereas last year more than fifty percent of companies saw their sales decline, when asked about the future more than fifty percent of respondents anticipated their business staying static at least, whilst one in five anticipated growth.
When asked about the main issues adversely affecting their business more companies (almost thirty percent) named health and safety regulations and environmental regulations as problems; than were concerned about the limits on bank lending.
Margot James said “The Black Country has had exclusively Labour representation in Parliament for the last decade so it is a missed opportunity that these MPs have been unable to communicate the needs of Stourbridge and the Black Country business to their government, the Conservative Party have the polices local businesses need: a lighter regulatory touch, support for workplace apprenticeships and a reduced tax burden for business start ups – this is the way to tackle the jobs crisis”.
