Supporting hard-working businesses in Harlow

If there is one thing that will help bring jobs back to Harlow, it is a successful business community. Small businesses in our town need the right economic climate to thrive and flourish.

It was good to see that so many Harlow businesses are determined to suceed, despite the current economic climate. I saw this for myself when I visited the Harlow Business Exhibition yesterday, held at the Greyhound Stadium. I was asked to open the exhibition by organiser Ian Hudson, and was really pleased to see an array of local businesses, exhibiting their wares.

I spoke to the assembled present about about the the policies that the Coalition Government have to help business:

• 100,000 more apprenticeships every year;
• cutting corporation tax;
• making rate relief automatic for small businesses;
• the freezing of national insurance for most people;
• aiming for 25 per cent of all Government contracts to be awarded to small and medium-sized businesses;
• all Government tenders to be published online in full and free of charge.

At the exhibition, I also signed the Essex FSB Keep Trade Local Petition. All in all a good day for local business and for Harlow - rapidly becoming the commerce centre of Essex.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com