Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced the launch of a new group called Small Business for Reform to advise the party on its small business policies.
In a press briefing on Monday 10 November, Farage positioned Reform as the party of small business, arguing that the sector has long been ignored by the government and has been hindered by bureaucracy.
He said the new group would help to develop small business-focused policies that would inform its manifesto commitments for the next general election.
This group also plans to recruit small businesses across the country and to lobby the existing government to change regulation and cut red tape for small businesses.
“Today as we launch Small Business for Reform, we are looking for tens of thousands of businesses up and down this country to join this organisation,” Farage said.
“We will put in place a board. We will work together to produce the right policies for small business, for entrepreneurship, for startups, for our manifesto for the next general election.”
During the announcement, Farage revealed that the Reform small business group would include Checkatrade founder Kevin Byrne, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and property developer.
Byrne and Farage took aim at policies proposed by the Labour government, including the Employment Rights Bill, stating that this opened small business operators up to more risk and bureaucracy, and did not address the issues they face.
“This Labour government has absolutely no comprehension of what it’s like to set up and run a small business and to meet a monthly payroll. None of them have ever done it, none of them get it,” Farage said.
Farage also said that the Conservative party punished small businesses during its time in office and noted that he set up his own small business in 1993.
“I know how legislation impacts on small business and I know how much time is taken up with bureaucracy if you run a small business.”
“The Conservatives betrayed you on small business – Labour doesn’t have any comprehension of what you do as small business. We do, we get it,” Farage said.
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