Chancellor backs small businesses to thrive and grow

Chancellor underlines support for smaller businesses and their importance to the UK economy on visit to Ipswich.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed small businesses as the “heart of our economy” on Thursday (12 May) as he set out how the government is backing firms to train and invest, helping the economy recover and grow, and support jobs during a whistle-stop tour of Suffolk.

Mr Sunak hosted a roundtable – at Suffolk Food Hall – with local SMEs that had benefited from the Help to Grow: Management programme to discuss how the government scheme has supported them.

He was joined by Exchequer Secretary Helen Whately and visited local businesses including a bakery, gardening and gift shop, before launching the Google Digital Garage nationwide skills training tour at an event hosted at Ipswich Town Football Club.

This consisted of a day of workshops and mentoring to support SMEs to learn new digital skills to grow their businesses and improve productivity. Levi Roots, the entrepreneur behind Reggae Reggae sauce, also attended to share advice with local businesses.

The government said it had written to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) outlining government help available to them including cuts to employment taxes and business rates alongside support for them to thrive and grow.

“Small businesses are the heart of our economy – creating jobs and prosperity across the UK. It’s been inspiring to meet so many of them in Suffolk today,” the Chancellor said.

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