I commend Mrs McIntyre for her efforts in this report and I share with her my desire for greater success for small and medium enterprises and indeed, their ability to create jobs. In the UK, SMEs create up to 43% of the workforce, the highest ratio.
We differ, however, in how we go about it. She obviously believes that she can achieve this from within the EU, in one of her Conservative Parties many hopes for reform. I feel this is unlikely.
When we attended, with Mr Phil Bennion, a FSB hustings in Birmingham in 2009, the FSB, the Federation of Small Businesses, their manifesto said please no more legislation from the European Union – please cut the red tape.
Ms McIntyre, in the two and a half years you’ve been here, you’ve failed to cut one piece of red tape, and indeed, Mr Rubig, who submitted the question, talks about gold-plating. Well the UK leads gold-plating and this Conservative Government hasn’t done one thing to cut gold-plating.
The Conservative Government is losing us jobs in Europe.
