NW businessman John Allan to chair FSB

JOHN Allan, a long-standing champion of small businesses in the region, has been elected as national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses.

The small business pressure group has more than 200,000 members, and elected Mr Allan at its annual conference in Leicester

He replaces John Walker who served as National Chairman at the FSB for three years and was policy chairman prior to that.

Southport-based Mr Allan is a former FSB recruiter who has been a grassroots activist for 15 years. He is a director of the British East India Company Ltd involved in oil expediting, steel making and whisky bottling.

Among his many previous roles, John has been both chairman and chief Executive of the Wirral Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the Merseyside Chamber and its representative on the organisation’s National Council.

Commenting on his new role, he said: ““Small businesses are the country’s innovators and key employers that are more likely to take on the long-term unemployed.

“I am delighted to have been voted the FSB’s new National Chairman to continue the work of the organisation as the country heads into recovery. The FSB has an important voice in promoting small business issues and holding the Government to account in the policies they produce.”