The Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, today visited Stourport-on-Severn to meet with local businesses and to talk about Conservative proposals for business under an incoming Conservative Government.
Ken Clarke (pictured with Ken Wigfield, Chairman of the Hereford & Worcester Federation of Small Businesses, Ken Clarke MP, Mark Garnier, and Gary Woodman of the Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce)was invited by Wyre Forest's Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, Mark Garnier, who was keen to both provide more information for local businesses, but also to seek views of local businesses who's ideas are important when formulating Conservative policy.
Promoted by the Hereford and Worcester branch of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce, about 50 local business people gathered at the Stourport Workmen's Club in Lickhill Road.
During the talk, Ken Clarke highlighted the fact that a successful business environment is the key to the recovery in the UK. IN order to support businesses, Ken's policies centre around creating a better environment for businesses with policies that include a freeze on business taxes, a reduction in regulation, sunset clauses for regulators and a raft of ideas to help businesses. Importantly, Ken also talked about the near million under 24 year olds seeking jobs and added that help for entrepreneurial youngsters is important. By encouraging unemployed youngsters to start their own businesses (as opposed to simply waiting for an improvement in the economy and more employers to appear), the economy would grow and a new generation of employers can be developed.
But Ken Clarke warned of two outcomes that would be damaging to the British economy. Ken warned that if the debt crises is not dealt with quickly, the markets would react with pressure on the Pound and a subsequent increase in interest rates that would hurt us all - especially those suffering under huge household debts. Secondly, a worrying outcome at the general election next year is a hung Parliament, where no party forms an overall majority. With a lack of clear direction in the Government, the current crises will only last longer.
Mark Garnier said of Ken's visit: "I am incredibly grateful to have been able to bring Ken Clarke to Stourport and Wyre Forest. Ken is man who has huge experience of Government and proved to be an incredible Chancellor, steering the British economy from the recession of the early 90s and the ERM debacle to an incredibly strong, debt free economy in 1997. Now that a decade of Gordon Brown's staggering incompetence has left the economy in tatters, it is reassuring to know that Ken is in our front bench team, ready to help George Osborne get this country back on track.
"Importantly, given that Wyre Forest currently has an MP who has no influence on policy making at Westminster, it is vital that local businesses get the opportunity to feed back their opinions and thoughts into the policy making process. I am grateful to Ken for listening to Wyre Forest's business community and look forward to welcoming him back soon."