Business owners around the country have been left incredulous as Labour, over the weekend, launched a full-blown social media blitz about how it is backing small businesses.
One said the party is “in Cloud Cuckoo Land”, another that the Government is “tone-deaf” and a third that “Labour should be in the Hague for economic crimes against small businesses”.
In a post on Facebook, Labour posted a list of all the ways it is helping small businesses, while over on LinkedIn Chancellor Rachel Reeves echoed the message, saying: “When small businesses succeed, Britain succeeds.”
Small business owners say the whole campaign reveals how detached Labour is from economic reality after months of rising costs, rising taxes, added regulation and little meaningful support for the SME community. One said she thought the whole social media campaign was a joke.
I thought it was satire
Kate Allen, Owner at Kingsbridge-based Finest Stays, said: “When I saw their post, I genuinely thought it was satire, but no, it was actually Labour.
“Nothing sums up how out of touch they are more than Keir Starmer parroting ‘when they succeed, Britain succeeds… my government is backing incredible entrepreneurs’.
“Backing us with what, exactly? Higher taxes, higher costs and policies that actively suffocate growth? Labour’s relentless taxing and squeezing of small businesses is precisely why we can’t hire, invest or expand.
“Every new policy hits SMEs first and hardest, and then they have the audacity to launch a PR campaign pretending to be our champions. The sooner Labour are gone, the better.”
Riz Malik, Director at Southend-on-Sea-based R3 Wealth, was equally unimpressed: “Labour should be in the Hague for economic crimes against small businesses. They cannot support SMEs, which are the foundation of the UK economy, because they do not understand business.
“None of them are entrepreneurs, none of them have put it all on the line, and the best we can hope for from them is that they don’t mess things up further.”
Utter tripe from Labour
Rohit Parmar-Mistry, Founder at Burton-on-Trent-based Pattrn Data, didn’t mince his words but said the Conservatives were equally to blame when in power: “Let’s call this what it is: utter tripe.”
He continued: “With Labour, we’re seeing the same tired playbook we endured under the Tories, namely pandering to massive corporations and the investment class while the real engines of the economy get crushed.
“Until a party has the guts to challenge the dominance of big corporate interests and actually stimulate consumption, this ‘backing business’ rhetoric is just noise.”
Tony Redondo, Founder at Newquay-based Cosmos Currency Exchange, was nonplussed: “This Labour government claiming to back small businesses is beyond a joke. They’re in Cloud Cuckoo Land. There isn’t a gap between rhetoric and reality. It’s a chasm.
“If what the Government has done is backing small businesses, I hate to think what the government would do if it was anti-small business.”
Meanwhile, Sam Kirk, Managing Director at Retford-based J-Flex Rubber Products, said the campaign is “tone-deaf”: “Has Labour helped my business? Not one bit. Did I expect anything less? Absolutely not, and this latest nonsense about backing small businesses demonstrates how tone-deaf those inside the Westminster bubble are.
“Many firms are still seething with the decision to hike National Insurance in April, one of the biggest manifesto U-turns do date.”
Ridiculous claim
Ross Lacey, Director & Independent Financial Adviser at Rayleigh-based Fairview Financial Management, found Labour’s claim laughable:
He said: “Increased Employers National Insurance, increased dividend tax, increased corporation tax, lower dividend allowance and the minefield of navigating the risks associated with employing people through the new Employment Rights Bill. For Labour to claim that they’ve done anything positive for small business is ridiculous.”
Rohit Kohli, Director at Romsey-based The Mortgage Stop was also left scratching his head: “Backing small business shouldn’t mean higher costs, more red tape and a fresh U-turn every fortnight.
“Real backing is certainty, cash-flow headroom and a clear path to hire, invest and take a fair wage. Right now, owners are cutting drawings, parking hires and praying the next rule change doesn’t land on payday.”
Scott Gallacher, Director at Leicester-based Rowley Turton, said the claim is totally unfounded: “It’s hard to see how Labour can claim to back small businesses. Higher Employer’s National Insurance, steep minimum wage rises for younger workers and proposed day-one employment rights all increase costs and hiring risks.
“Add higher dividend taxes and frozen allowances, and owners must take more out just to stand still — leaving less to invest in growth.”
Kate Underwood, Founder at Southampton-based Kate Underwood HR and Training, said merely: “If this is Labour “backing small business”, I would hate to see what neglect looks like.”
Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash
