One year on from the 2015 general election, new research has found that only 14% of micro-businesses are satisfied with their treatment by the Conservative government, according to Crunch Accounting.
In his Small Business Manifesto, launched a week before the election, David Cameron hailed himself the “minister for small business and enterprise,” promising to cut £10 billion worth of red tape, deliver a meaningful review of business rates and provide targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
But a year into the Conservative government, the small business community is struggling to agree with the Prime Minister. More than a third (35%) of decision makers in micro-businesses feel unsatisfied with the work and policies introduced to support the country’s smallest businesses. More than half (51%) reported feeling ambivalent about the government’s policies. And just 2% feel ‘very satisfied’ with the government's performance throughout the year.
The research also found that just 15% of business owners feel current debate in politics fairly represents their needs and concerns – while nearly a half (43%) said that political debate doesn’t reflect their day-to-day business challenges whatsoever.
Darren Fell, CEO of Crunch Accounting, said: “One year into the Conservative government’s term in office and it is clear that the micro-business community is continuing to be side-lined when it comes to policy making and representation at a government level.
“As an online accountancy firm specialising in the needs of micro-business owners and freelancers, we hear their concerns on a daily basis. The message that continues to come through is that politicians need to start paying attention to the needs of the UK’s micro-business community – after all, they are the backbone of our economy.”
