At our Autumn Party Conference in September the Lib Dems passed a motion calling for a number of further measures to support small, independent businesses.
ALDC have produced a Template Council Motion that can be adapted an used in your Council area to support the policy and call for more action to protect your local businesses and jobs.
TEMPLATE COUNCIL MOTION – SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
Council notes the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on small businesses. Most small, independent businesses in [AREA NAME] were forced to shut their doors overnight last year. Many were not able to trade online or through delivery, and many are yet to re-open.
Council notes that 99% of businesses in the UK are small businesses. Council further notes that small businesses across the UK are in serious rent arrears of an estimated £6 billion, and that the Federation of Small Businesses recently issued a warning that 250,000 small businesses could be forced to close by the end of the year.
Council agrees that it is vital that we do more to protect our local businesses, local jobs and local high streets.
Council notes the resolution passed at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in September calling for a package of measures to give more support to small, independent businesses in [AREA NAME].
- These measures would include:•Giving all small businesses a cash injection to create jobs by quadrupling the Annual Employment Allowance to £16,000 for 2 years and allowing them to pay zero employers NI contributions on their first 5 employees.
- Keeping the 5% VAT rate on tourism and hospitality until the end of the 2021-22 financial year.
- Extending furlough to the end of the 2021-22 financial year for businesses still affected by the pandemic.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to demand the Small Business Support Package, called for by the Liberal Democrats at their September Party Conference, is implemented in full.