Green Party activists
in North Staffordshire have given their support to the party’s plans to help
small businesses become more environmentally sustainable ahead of Small
Business Saturday, due to be held on 4th December.
A spokesperson for the Green Party said: “Small and independent
businesses and enterprises are the backbone of our local economy. And as many
large corporations decline and abandon our town/city, small businesses can help
revitalise our High Streets” [1].
The spokesperson
went on to say: “We know many small businesses
are committed to becoming more sustainable and to improving the welfare of
their employees, but it is often made difficult and expensive for them to do
so. That’s why, this Small Business Saturday, we are calling on government, and
our local council, to introduce a series of measures to support small
businesses to do the right thing.”
A
spokesperson for North Staffs Green Party said: “For years we have seen the six
towns that make up Stoke-on-Trent and the historic market town of
Newcastle-under-Lyme go into decline as large chains pull out, often it is
small traders who step in to fill the void, providing jobs and services for local
people”.
Small
Business Saturday marks the culmination of a tour of 20 UK cities that began in
Glasgow on 13th October during the COP26 climate conference.
The
purpose of the tour, said Michelle Ovens, director of Small Business Saturday,
was to “put the spotlight on fantastic small businesses and their
communities” [2]
The
tour will emphasise environmental sustainability, something 97% of UK small
businesses say is important, with many saying they want to play a role in
helping the UK reach its Net Zero goal by 2050.
Michelle
Ovens said: “Running The Tour in an environmentally conscious way is incredibly
important to us, and in doing so we hope to encourage small businesses to take
the leap and pledge to go Net Zero.”
The
Green Party is making four key asks of local and national government to help
small businesses thrive and be sustainable.
These
are that no small business should pay higher business rates as a result of
greening their business; that VAT should be reformed so that it does more to
support small businesses; small businesses should be given more help with
improving employee wellbeing, and that local authorities should work with small
businesses to create ‘virtual high streets’ making it easier for them to
compete with big online retailers [3].
The
Green Party spokesperson said: “We know many small businesses are committed to
becoming more sustainable and to improving the welfare of their employees, but
it is often made difficult and expensive for them to do so. That’s why, this
Small Business Saturday, we are calling on government, and our local council,
to introduce a series of measures to support small businesses to do the right
thing.”
The
Spokesperson for North Staffs Greens said: “Making it easier for local small
businesses to be greener in how they operate will help them to create the new
jobs and industries that are key to regenerating our city. We want to see plans
to make this possible put front and centre in the council’s long-term agenda
for regeneration”.
The
Green Party was the national spokesperson said, “proud to be the party of small
business” and had “long championed business rates reform and extending and
expanding business rates relief”.
Adding
that the party wanted to see small businesses and the communities of which they
are an integral part “thrive”, through being “provided with the support they
need to do so.”
[2] https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/media-information
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