Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are not only economic entities; they are the enduring spirit of enterprise which shapes our nation’s economy. These kinds of businesses, here in South Holland and the Deepings and elsewhere, are the bedrock upon which local prosperity is built. Their benefits are omnipresent; they create jobs, deliver indispensable services, and serve as the engine of opportunity for countless hardworking families. Supporting them is not just a matter of policy; it is an investment in a shared destiny for our nation, where innovation thrives, self-reliance is rewarded, and local pride is maintained.
Yet many constituents tell me they feel the Government has turned its back on local wealth creators and job providers, as the recent budgets’ national insurance costs and its family farm tax are severe blows to hard-pressed businesses. Surely the courage of entrepreneurs who form the backbone of local communities should never be undervalued. So, the betrayal of ambitious hard work that these measures mean is an affront to the very values that make Britain great.
Instead, we need policies that empower those who take risks to build business. We must champion the cause of these family firms, the very heart and soul of our communities, by ensuring that their rightful place at the centre of our nation’s economic revival is recognised and rewarded.
Simultaneously the needed measures to counter the abuse of power by multinational corporations are absent. These globe-straddling behemoths; notably Apple, Amazon and Uber, dodge their obligations while ordinary, hardworking families and small businesses are forced to shoulder the burden of keeping our nation afloat. Truly patriotic policies would hold these corporate giants to account, ensuring they contribute their fair share to the Exchequer.
Which is why, last Thursday, I rose in Parliament to call for a debate on the latest appalling example of corporate avarice — Vodafone’s disgraceful mistreatment of its franchisees. Across the country, including here in South Holland, hardworking franchisees have been left with no choice but to take High Court action against Vodafone, after the company, without notice or justification, drastically cut their remuneration, leaving them facing closer with workers jobs put at risk. This despite Vodaphone benefiting from Government payments during the pandemic to support struggling franchises. We need to crack down on these soulless, heartless corporate businesses which are costing livelihoods, oblivious of the consequences.
In a time when those most in need are being unfairly penalised, the very least Government ministers should do is shield its citizens and business owners from the rampant profiteering of multinational giants who see employees as dispensable and customers as mere numbers. It would be shameful to turn a blind eye to such blatant exploitation.
We must stand firm in defence of small and medium sized businesses, while obliging these corporate leviathans to treat those who depend on them with decency and fairness. For all the time I have the privilege of defending hard working local people in Parliament, I will do so without fear or favour.
