Strengthening the SME sector

The SME sector is a big employer and the source of much innovation. It is widely acknowledged that a stronger UK SME sector would benefit the economy as a whole, in much the same way that the strong German Mittelstand sector helps the German economy and complements major German companies. But there is little agreement or action on tackling the biggest problems such as late payments, poor availability of credit facilities, unfair competition from online businesses, barriers to exporting, access to government contracts, and so on. Rushanara Ali MP will lead a roundtable to discuss Labour’s approach to these issues and what policies and actions would most help a stronger SME sector to emerge.