Small business wants substance, specifics and action as well as soundbites please Mr Cameron!
Written by Serious PR on May 22, 2010
New PM, David Cameron, dropped into Northern Ireland on a whirlwind visit this week and confirmed his new coalition was determined to make this little part of the UK an ‘enterprise’ zone.
We don’t know what he means specifically. New Secretary of State, Owen Patterson likes the idea of ‘examining’ the possibility of reducing corporation tax here as part of an overall package aimed at stimulating the economy. But how is that likely to play in the other ‘regions’ of the UK. Won’t the Scots, Welsh, or those in the NE of England have a justifiable shout for precisely the same dispensation? And if corporation tax is reduced across the UK how does the Government fill the massive financial hole that will be left?
Mr Cameron wants to reduce the dependence of the NI economy on the public sector by championing a resurgence within the private sector. Laudible enough. But what’s he going to do specifically to reward and encourage entrepreneurs who are prepared to ‘have a go’ – especially those who have been – or are still to be made redundant – as a result of the economic slump or impending Government spending cuts?
This whole horrible mess began with the banks. So how about appointing a small business champion and penalizing them if they don’t lend to business?
How about encouraging much more of a ‘risk’ culture within public sector inward investment organisations like Invest NI? How about no business rates for companies in their first three years, ‘payment’ holidays for NIC / PAYE for companies finding the going tough as well as ‘guaranteeing’ in whole or part bad debt which can have such a devastating effect on small business?
Whatever, Cameron, Osborne, Patterson and co come up with as a package of economic stimulae should be discussed with small business, agreed and rolled out as soon as possible. We can’t afford this big promise to remain as a Tory soundbite!
DMcC
New PM, David Cameron, dropped into Northern Ireland on a whirlwind visit this week and confirmed his new coalition was determined to make this little part of the UK an ‘enterprise’ zone.
We don’t know what he means specifically. New Secretary of State, Owen Patterson likes the idea of ‘examining’ the possibility of reducing corporation tax here as part of an overall package aimed at stimulating the economy. But how is that likely to play in the other ‘regions’ of the UK. Won’t the Scots, Welsh, or those in the NE of England have a justifiable shout for precisely the same dispensation? And if corporation tax is reduced across the UK how does the Government fill the massive financial hole that will be left?
Mr Cameron wants to reduce the dependence of the NI economy on the public sector by championing a resurgence within the private sector. Laudible enough. But what’s he going to do specifically to reward and encourage entrepreneurs who are prepared to ‘have a go’ – especially those who have been – or are still to be made redundant – as a result of the economic slump or impending Government spending cuts?
This whole horrible mess began with the banks. So how about appointing a small business champion and penalizing them if they don’t lend to business?
How about encouraging much more of a ‘risk’ culture within public sector inward investment organisations like Invest NI? How about no business rates for companies in their first three years, ‘payment’ holidays for NIC / PAYE for companies finding the going tough as well as ‘guaranteeing’ in whole or part bad debt which can have such a devastating effect on small business?
Whatever, Cameron, Osborne, Patterson and co come up with as a package of economic stimulae should be discussed with small business, agreed and rolled out as soon as possible. We can’t afford this big promise to remain as a Tory soundbite!
DMcC