The UK's three leading political parties took to the stage at The Federation of Small Businesses' – FSB – National Conference and Small Business Expo 2015 on Friday to make their case on why small business owners should vote for them in the upcoming election.
Chancellor George Osborne, Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg, and Labour leader Ed Miliband were tasked with explaining what each of their parties could offer to nearly 1,000 small business owners on the second day of the event in Birmingham.
The FSB has released a business manifesto ahead of the election, in which it calls for lower business rates, a full public inquiry into the issue of late payments, as well as the establishment of a formal voice at the heart of government.
Miliband, who spoke to the audience after Osborne and Clegg, pledged to cut business rates for small companies if he took office, and said he would freeze rates for the following year. Osborne also committed to reviewing the system in 2017.
In his speech, Clegg said the government must go further to address the issue of late payments and change the supply chain culture starting with their own payment practices. Research from the FSB found that 43% of firms have waited more than 90 days beyond the agreed payment date before they got the money they are owed.
But one FSB member told The Financial Times he was “blown away that Nick Clegg doesn’t even know how the pensions system works” when the deputy was facing questions about the government's auto-enrolment pensions policy.
Another criticised Labour's plans to increase the minimum wage to £8 an hour by the end of the next parliament, saying it 'could be a disincentive for small businesses to take on additional staff'.
To view the full content from the conference, visit http://www.fsblive.org