29/04/09 - The need for help for small business on Teesside

Discussing the 2009 Budget and its effect locally with Guisborough estate agent and financial advisor Derrick Langley

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Paul Bristow, held talks with Guisborough Estate Agent and Financial Advisor Derrick Langley to assess the views of local small businessmen.

Both Guisborough and Loftus were recently included in an indepdendent report listing the ten towns in England and Wales where properties were taking longest amount of time to sell. Properties in Guisborough are spending an average of 283 days on the market and a staggering 311 days in Loftus.

Moreover, Teesside in particular is suffering from job losses with Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency having 18 job seekers chasing every job vacancy – the highest ratio in the whole of the North East.

Commenting, Paul said:
 
"The message I have heard loud and clear from small businesses across Teesside is the need to access credit. The banks aren’t lending and this Labour Government looks unable or unwilling to do anything about this. The Conservative Party has set out clear proposals for a National Loan Guarantee Scheme to address this problem for small firms, protect jobs and help Teesside reach its full potential.
 
“Furthermore, our plans to raise the stamp duty threshold to £250,000, meaning nine out of ten first time buyers would not pay any stamp duty, is the sort of help needed to boost the struggling property market.”