Sarah Gibson MP Hosts Successful Business Breakfast for local Entrepreneurs Ahead of Small Business Saturday
Chippenham, 6th December 2024 – Chippenham MP, Sarah Gibson, held her first Business Breakfast on Friday 6th December, bringing together small business owners from across the constituency to discuss the challenges and opportunities they face ahead of this year’s Small Business Saturday on 7th December.
The event, which took place in the Neeld Hall in Chippenham, provided an engaging forum for local entrepreneurs to share their experiences and offer feedback on key issues, including the impact of the Autumn Budget and the recently introduced Employment Rights Bill.
Business owners highlighted a range of topics, from navigating rising costs to hire new staff, accessing support for workforce development, all of which Sarah Gibson MP committed to championing in Parliament.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Chippenham’s economy and community,” said Sarah Gibson MP. “Hearing directly from our local entrepreneurs about the issues that matter most to them ensures I can be their strongest advocate in Westminster. Their innovation and resilience inspire me, and I’m determined to fight for the support they need to thrive.”
Ahead of Small Business Saturday on the 7th December, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to “urgently rethink” their tax hike and scrap it for SMEs
The breakfast meeting also celebrated the importance of supporting local businesses as Small Business Saturday approaches. Sarah Gibson MP urged residents to shop local and show their support for the small businesses that make rural market towns unique.
New polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that, almost one in two (46%) people expect to see the number of SMEs in their local area closing to increase as a result of the NICs hike by the government.
The polling also showed that more than half (56%) of people think that costs will increase at local SMEs with almost one in five (18%) expecting them to increase a lot. Two-fifths (41%) of people also expect the number of jobs available at local SMEs to fall too.
Close to one in three (28%) people said that they thought the tax hike would affect their spending habits at SMEs.
Of these people, one in two (49%) said that they would be cutting back on their Christmas shopping as a result, two in five (40%) said that they would visit their local high streets less and one in three (33%) said that they would shop at larger stores.