SME4 Labour 8th Floor Elizabeth House 39 York Road London SE11 7NQ [email protected] • www.sme4labour.org Sme4Labour Sme4Labour 32 OLAY 25 Nisan 2017 Salı BiraBira London,London, world’sworld’s firstfirst beerbeer forfor kebabs!kebabs! [email protected] | www.biralondon.com BiraLDN Bira London “Firstly, thank you for taking your Small firms account for 99.3 per cent time to have a look at what we do. of all private sector businesses in the We began the SME4Labour group UK. They provide nearly two thirds because we firmly believe that small of all private sector jobs and nearly businesses play a crucial part in half of the private sector’s turnover. British society and have a lot to con- Small and medium sized businesses tribute to progressive politics. I am employed 15.7 million people and a small business owner and a proud had a combined turnover of £1.8 Labour Party member. Despite what trillion last year. No political party some people think, these two things which is serious about forming the go hand in hand. next government can ignore small businesses. I began my working life as a waiter. Over time, I worked my way up to At SME4Labour we will be support- become a manager and setting up ing the Labour Party’s endeavours, my own restaurant in 2005. I now as well as small businesses, entre- run five restaurants across London preneurs and the self-employed who Ibrahim Dogus and employ 60 people. There seems contribute so much to their commu- Co-Chair of SME4Labour to be an idea that the Labour Party nities, and who find themselves, far and 2017 GE candidate is anti-business. In my opinion this too often, in precarious situations. for the Cities of Westminster could not be further from the truth. Whether that is because of com- and London The Labour Party understands that plex tax systems and regulations, or SMEs are the lifeblood of our com- competition from large businesses munities, as most small businesses who can get away with breaking create jobs and reinvest in their local the rules, small businesses need our www.ibrahimdogus.org areas. I have personally borne wit- help. ness to how much Labour MPs place ibrahim.dogus.90 value in the businesses in their con- So, please, let us come together and stituencies. However, we can’t say invest in our communities, our inno- the same about the Conservatives, vators and our future prosperity.” @ibrahim_Dogus who once in power tend to side with the bigger businesses, often to the neglect of local communities. Labour speaks up for people who don’t have a voice. So we are taking it upon ourselves to speak up for the companies that don’t have big marketing budgets, that don’t put “The Labour Party their money in tax havens, that don’t off-shore jobs and that don’t be- understands that lieve in zero-hour contracts. We will support businesses that believe in SMEs are the Labour values. We need to get away from this anti-business view and lifeblood of our start saying, as a party, how much we need SMEs, because we, as SME communities, owners, need Labour. We are living under a government that does not as most small respect small businesses or work- ing people. The Labour Party is the businesses create party of workers, people who are up at the crack of dawn to see through jobs and reinvest a hard day’s work. The previous Labour government was a friend in their local to small businesses, and I strongly believe it is time we had a party like areas.” that in No. 10 once again. SME4Labour 3 Messages of Support “SME4Labour provides small businesses with a way to have their voices heard, which are too often drowned out by larger companies and corporations. I’d like to thank and congratulate my colleagues in the SME4Labour team for their contribution to an economic policy that works for the many, not the few.” Jeremy Corbyn MP for Islington North and Leader of the Labour Party “I wish to thank SME4Labour for the major contribution the group has made to developing and campaigning so successfully for Labour’s policies. SME4Labour has really made its’ mark on our political direction.” John McDonnell MP for Hayes & Harlington and Shadow Chancellor 4 SME4Labour Messages of Support glint of ambition in their founder’s sustainable economy, we will look to eye. cover a range of areas, including: Yet start-ups face huge challenges. 7 • Recognising the importance of out of 10 don’t make it through their micro-business by pushing for a third year due to a lack of working dedicated shadow minister and capital, business planning and local council leader for this group. entrepreneurial skills. This is an area • Catalysing start up growth where an active government can use through investment relief; using its powers to ensure that startups unused council property as start can fulfil their potential. up hubs; reducing red tape Likewise we need to follow Tom and providing greater practical Watson’s example in doing more to support; and enabling greater support micro-businesses – those access to sectoral business that consist of less than 10 people. mentors and advisers. More than 8 million people work in • Expanding the reach of small more than 5 million such companies businesses by pushing the in this country – an existence that government to help SMEs can be a source of great innovation access international markets and creativity, but can also be a very too often dominated by bigger insecure experience. organisations. Sonny Leong We were good on small businesses • Deepening the partnership Co-Chair of SME4Labour both in government and in and Chair of Chinese for Labour economy by developing the same opposition. Chuka Umunna as links big business has built with Shadow Business Secretary set up educational institutions to connect “Why do we need Small Business Saturday, which SMEs with schools. encourages people to buy ‘small’ In all of these areas, the Labour SME4Labour? one Saturday in December. Chuka’s values of partnership, international- 99.9% of private sector businesses bi-partisan initiative was a huge ism and common endeavour are very are SMEs, employing an estimated success, adding to the £460m spent much of benefit to business AND to 15.7 million people, which is in small businesses last December. well over half the private sector working people of all backgrounds We need to continue and build on workforce. It accounts for nearly half who want make the most of their these efforts under Jeremy Corbyn’s of private sector turnover at £1.8 talents and potential. leadership. To that end, we have set trillion. SMEs are not only the source That, for me, is what Labour is all up SME4Labour: a group of Labour of many people’s livelihoods but about – bringing each of us a life of supporters from every part of the also the dominant driver for growth success, by building a successful so- party to offer support, advice and and creativity in our economy. Every ciety, together. That’s what SME4La- policy suggestions to the Shadow national business success – Amstrad, bour is about. It’s why I will continue Business team. Virgin, Innocent, Ella’s Kitchen – to give my all to Labour under the began life as a small business, as a With a goal of a more fair and leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.” “SME4Labour is a vital component of the conversation that the Labour Party will have with voters between now and the 2020 election. More than five million small and medium enterprises in Britain employ over 15 million people, and are the produc- tive frontier of our future economy. Clear, strong and close relations be- tween our party’s policy makers and SMEs are critical, and SME4Labour is playing a strong and innovative role in providing that platform.”* *This message was received in 2016 in support of SME4Labour. Tom Watson MP for West Bromwich East and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party SME4Labour 5 Messages of Support “Our small business sector is the That’s why I have worked closely power-house of the economy, con- with SMEs in my campaign Be Fair tributing 47% of the UK’s income in – Pay on Time to tackle the scourge the private sector and constituting of late payments. I was delighted over 99% of all businesses and the our recent manifesto “declared war majority of private sector jobs. Small on late payments” and promised to businesses are critical to boosting both use government procurement aggregate levels of productivity in to ensure that anyone bidding for a the UK. For sustainable and healthy government contract pays its own growth, we need to support and suppliers within 30 day and develop nurture our entrepreneurs and small a version of the Australian system businesses. of binding arbitration and fines for “But one of the issues facing SMEs persistent late-payers for the private Debbie Abrahams and which has a direct impact on and public sectors.” MP for Oldham East and their productivity is late payments by Saddleworth and Shadow Work large companies to their suppliers. and Pensions Secretary “Comprising over 99% of private quarterly reporting for businesses sector businesses in the UK, small with a turnover of less than £85,000 and medium enterprises are the will go some way to reducing the backbone of the economy. I’m financial and administrative burden delighted that the Labour Party has that small businesses currently face such a close relationship with SMEs under the Tories.