Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has attended the Tendring Business Briefing, organised by Jamesons Accountants and Ellisons Solicitors.
These briefing events are designed to bring business owners from the Tendring area together for networking and discussion sessions. This event was held at Frinton Golf Club on 1st March and a variety of businesses attended, with Giles and neighbouring MP Sir Bernard Jenkin also in attendance.
According to 2018 figures, 2,240 businesses in the Clacton constituency are currently classed as small or medium enterprises (SMEs). This means that 99.8% of all local businesses are SMEs, a higher percentage than the rest of the East of England, and the UK as a whole.
Speaking after the session, Giles said:
“Since my election, I have sought to engage with the business community whenever possible, and this excellent briefing event gave me another opportunity to do just that. Small and medium enterprises, like those we see predominantly in the Clacton constituency, account for 48% of all UK economic output by businesses, so we must do all we can to support them and, of course, we must not forget the large businesses that account for the other 52%.
“The Government has already done so much to support business by promoting exports, providing £5.5bn worth of finance to SMEs, and taking 600,000 small firms out of paying business rates altogether. This far-sighted strategy has also provided a much needed boost to our business community. As part of this the Corporation Tax rates have reduced from 21% in 2010 to 17% by 2020 but we need to do more, especially as the Industrial Strategy is rolled out. That is why events like this are so valuable, as they allow me to hear and relay the concerns of business to Westminster, which I will do in coming days.”