FSB awarding Lorely Burt MP as the champion for Small Businesses (West Bromwich and Warley Liberal Democrats)

West Bromwich and Warley Liberal Democrats <info@westbromwichandwarleylibdems.org.uk>

FSB awarding Lorely Burt MP as the champion for Small Businesses

May 12, 2009 12:00 AM
Originally published by West Midlands Liberal Democrats

Dave Evans FSB Solihull and Coleshill Branch Chairman, Lorely Burt MP for Solihull, Bruce Undy FSB Warwickshire and Coventry Regional Chairman

All six Branches of the Warwickshire & Coventry Federation of Small Businesses have been actively building up their relationships with their MPs in an effort to ensure that the needs and concerns of small businesses in the area are properly understood and voiced in Westminster.

Since the onset of the economic downturn, hardly a day goes by without one MP or another extolling the importance of small businesses. This is a clear measure of how well the FSB has been able to push the case and explain the importance of the small business economy.

Small businesses really are flavour of the month. Everyone is talking about them. And those who have the power to concoct the flavour of each month - the politicians, opinion formers, the media and others - have done a good job of raising the key issues that the FSB was created to promote.

How many times have we heard that there are more than 4.7 million small businesses in the UK, with more than 13.5 million people working in small firms across the country? Does anyone not know by now that small businesses truly are the backbone of the economy? But even before the downturn, some MPs have always been championing the small business community - and the Warwickshire & Coventry FSB has chosen to recognise those MPs who have intervened in parliamentary discussions on behalf of small businesses.

During 2008, the Warwickshire and Coventry Region of the FSB has logged the activities of the local MPs to assess how much support has been given to small businesses in debates in the House of Commons by each of the members. Of the 10 MPs in Warwickshire and Coventry, one stood out as having made speeches supporting small businesses. This MP was Lorely Burt MP for Solihull. Lorely Burt has therefore been recognised by the FSB for her work as a champion of the Small Business Community and has been presented with an award.

Bruce Undy, Warwickshire & Coventry Regional Chairman said

"Given the economic situation, most MP's have jumped on the small business bandwagon, but Lorely Burt MP has had a have a long track record of standing up for us and voicing our concerns. When you read some of the speeches made by Lorely Burt MP on behalf of local small businesses it is clear that she understand the importance of those businesses not only to the local economy but also the community."