Family businesses drive the economy in rural Britain. In our area, 94% of jobs come from small and medium-sized firms, people building something of their own, employing local workers, and keeping money in the local economy.
I recently visited a firm in West Somerset that started small and now supports dozens of rural jobs by supplying and servicing products that dozens more local businesses rely on. They’re not alone. Across the countryside, from farm suppliers to builders, manufacturers to mechanics, it’s these kinds of businesses that keep our towns and villages alive.
But instead of backing them, this government is squeezing them. Taxes are up. Rural transport budgets have been cut. And 27 new quangos have been created to add more regulation and cost. Rural Britain doesn’t need more bureaucracy..
If we want thriving towns, good jobs, and strong local economies, we need to get behind the people who are building them. That starts with backing rural enterprise, not strangling it
