Denise, Cat, Kelly, Leanne and Andy at the Fleetwood Jobcentre’s Jobs Fair
Denise, Cat, Kelly, Leanne and Andy at the Fleetwood Jobcentre’s Jobs Fair

It was great to attend Fleetwood Jobcentre’s Jobs Fair at Milton Street Community Centre on Friday. A huge range of sectors are hiring with jobs available in the fish industry, leisure, hospitality, transport and social care – all sectors that are struggling following the Covid crisis.

Like many of my colleagues, I’m spending a great deal of my time advocating on behalf of local businesses who are facing some very challenging times. 

New analysis from Labour has revealed thousands of British businesses are currently paying out more on debt than they’re bringing in in sales.  

A whopping 150,000 firms are paying out more than half of what they bring in to service their debt burden, while 75,000 firms are paying out more in debt than they are bringing in. 

We’re calling on the government to freeze business rates which could save the average small factory or shop £4,000. Labour would freeze rates this year as well as scrap and replace the rates system all together.  Labour has also called for more flexibility around repayment of Covid loans, with firms paying when they’re back and making profit.

The figures come as concerns are growing among businesses that Conservative tax hikes, the high cost of energy and mounting debt built over the pandemic are creating a “perfect storm” that threatens to push business over the brink. 

Small businesses are the heart of our high streets, but they’ve been let down time and time again by the chaos and complacency of the Conservatives which is choking off economic recovery.

Small and medium sized businesses account for over three fifths of private sector employment – 16.3 million – and are the backbone of the British economy which is why Labour will help create 100,000 new businesses over five years and boost the start-up loans scheme as well as championing a policy of Buy, Make and Sell more in Britain to boost growth

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