Miliband to address FSB conference

OPPOSITION leader Ed Miliband will deliver a keynote speech at the Federation of Small Businesses’ annual conference in Liverpool in March.

All major political parties will be involved in the event at the BT Convention Centre from 17 to 19 of March, with Prime Minister David Cameron appearing via video link, and Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable attending.

With small business funding, growth and the private sector recovery hot topics, the 750 attendees will be looking for actions, not just words from the coalition parties, and what the Labour Party would do if re-elected.

Small Business minister, Mark Prisk who will be running an exclusive small business surgery to discuss the day-to-day issues affecting small firms.

Ed Miliband, said: “Small businesses will be the engine that drives the economic recovery in 2011 and they should be the Government’s top priority in the year ahead. I look forward to hearing from small businesses from the North West and the rest of the country about what they need to play their vital role in boosting British growth.”

John Walker national chairman of the FSB said: “Small business confidence reached its lowest level at the end of 2010 and this year hasn’t started on a positive footing with tax rises, increases in unemployment and GDP entering negative territory.

“So at the annual conference this year, small businesses will be looking to hear exactly what growth stimulus political parties plan to put in place to help them do what they know best – grow, innovate and create jobs.

“As we have heard time and again, small businesses are the key to recovery. They will create revenue and jobs to the UK economy. But they need the right environment to do that. It is vital that policy makers prove that they really are listening to the county’s five million small businesses.”