The scary reality of the world today for Small Business and the Working class people.
LABOUR promised to be the party of change.
LABOUR promised to be the party not to tax the working people
LABOUR vowed to be the party that would promote growth in the UK economy.
Reform UK and their candidates warned you in the General Election not to trust the financials and manifesto of what was published by this party, and the pitfalls of their Net Zero targets being driven by Ed Milliband.
We have already lost our Premier Steel manufacturing Industry, what is the next British Legacy to fall on the Sword of Labour.
All I can say is that they will succeed on one of these PLEDGES, which is growth, but not positively.
- There will be GROWTH IN DEBT
- There will be GROWTH IN TAXES
- There will be GROWTH IN JOB LOSSES
- There will be GROWTH IN SMALL BUSINESSES SHUTTING DOWN.
- There will be GROWTH IN FARMS SHUTTING DOWN AND FOOD SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY BROUGHT INTO JEORPADY.
- There will be a GROWTH OF PEOPLE LOSING THEIT HOMES DUE TO RISING MORTGAGE PRICES.
Whilst Labour blamed Liz Trust and conservatives for breaking the economy, Rachel Reeves is the Highwayperson riding in on her RED STEED Called LABOUR and has robbed her of that Crown and taken from the poor to supplement their EGO and VANITY projects by decimating the UK and its future growth with a socialist agenda driven by the Labour party that goes against all its pledges.
Social Business Wales and their partners recently held a great conference in Llandudno for the Social Business Wales Conference and Awards in early October. The sessions were driven and inclusive of all, with no hidden agenda, and covered impact investing opportunities, social enterprise disrupting markets, and community-led economic growth. There was real positivity and community feel coming away from this event, which is the POLAR EFFECT from the upcoming DBF one at College Cambria.
This November 8th, 2024, Deeside Business Forum, a volunteer organisation of like-minded businesses who come together to grow the local economy, is holding a “Closing the Financial Gap” Event, which, on the outside looking in, looks more like an Immigration convention from the speakers advertised to date.
Whilst I am all about growth and a great believer in inward investment, such as myself coming to Wales over 30 years ago, the whole showcase of this event is pushed towards Labour’s biased agenda with no impartiality or other parties invited to speak.
It is also heavily focused on immigration and refugee skills.
How is this advantageous on closing the financial gap for many local businesses who are struggling to keep their heads above water, and people in jobs that’s to the reckless decisions made in this recent BUDGET.
From an outsider looking at the speakers advertised, apart from the Labour line of MP’s, MS’s and Councillors, it has brought in outside
organisations not based in the area but from London and Poole to discuss Talents and Skills –. Each of their specialisms is around refugees and immigrants.
What about the skills of our local people or the investment in training and reskilling needed to help them transition to new roles, especially with the imminent mass redundancies at two of the significant organisations in the Region, Essity and Kimberley Clarke?
What about the other local talent and training agencies and immigration support organisations that have helped the area grow and reinvest their profits over the past decades? Over 50 are within a 10-mile radius of this event.
It is held in the local college, fighting for funds to help upskill the local region. Education budgets are being cut to the core, yet only one can briefly speak about “workplace learning.”
More questions than answers from this line-up need to be asked.
- Why have they not showcased local businesses that offer these services?
- Where are the impartiality and speakers from other parties included in the MP’s, MS’s and Councillors?
- What about the skills and talents of local people?
- Is it ethically correct to focus on taking critical skills and people from other countries and migrate them to the region instead of investing in local people and the wider UK?
- Where is a speaker from the FSB who can give a VOICE to local business owners and help us understand the implications for our business with the recent budget?
In statistics, this budget has crippled many small businesses by targeting their growth by
- Raising Employers NI—yet Labour promised not to tax the working people. Are small businesses not working people?
- New Employment Legislation – that gives new workers’ rights from day 1
- Entrepreneurial relief tax rises
- Tax on rural economies, especially on farmers, puts our future food production and safety at risk.
Businesses are already in arms over her decision to focus tax hikes on employers, including a £ 20 billion hit to NICs.
Ministers have been arguing that does not breach the Labour manifesto vow not to raise the main rates of NICs, income tax or VAT because it will not appear on ‘payslips’.
An increase in capital gains tax also affects investors and current businesses in the region. So, how are we supposed to grow an economy and attract inward investment when the recent budget shackles our hands and investments? – So, with this being a highly biased Labour get-together, how can we “CLOSE THE FINANCIAL GAP.” That will be beneficial for wider Deeside.
What are the Deeside Business Forums’ go-to answers and solutions when the Chairman and some of the Board are heavily swayed and card-holding members of Labour and actively campaigned with them on the streets at the General Election?
The UK budget unveiled a slew of new tax hikes on capital gains, inheritance, pensions, and employer contributions, as well as the abolition of the long-standing non-dom status.
HOW DOES THIS DRIVE INWARD INVESTMENT INTO DEESIDE AND WIDER WALES?
Rachel Reeves has crucified all farmers with this budget. With the new 20% tax on the family farm, she has destroyed their ability to pass farms on to their children and broken the future of all our great estates. It is an appalling decision that shows the government has ZERO understanding of what matters to rural voters or the future of our food sustainability.
Stamp duty land surcharge for second homes will increase by 2% to 5% from November 2024. All those budding Landlords and Tourism businesses will be priced out of their entrepreneurial aspirations to support the ever-growing housing crisis, alongside supporting the much-needed seasonal rental properties to keep our tourism industry afloat.
Minimum wage increases by 6.7% above inflation to £12.21 p/h, but they are still keeping Personal tax allowance frozen on tax thresholds – when you start paying tax until April 2028. It had been widely reported that the Chancellor could increase this by two years until April 2030. – Why has this not risen alongside inflation as well ????
So, you will be paying 20% tax sooner for fewer hours worked, as your free pay is still only £12,570, which most people working 40 hours a week would hit at
Basic breakdown
- 40 hours * £12.21 = £488
- In 5 months, you will have hit all your free pay, so you will be paying 20% tax on the further 7 months’ pay, which makes you worse off.
- 40 hours * £11.44 = £457.6
- This gives you 6 months of free pay before you pay 20% on all the other income.
You will pay more tax back to the government with the NMW increase and earn less.
Also, if they raise the NMW by 6.7%, why have they not raised the pensions by this amount? Is that not fair and equal?
Pensions will be triple locked in April 2025 with what they call a generous uplift of 4%; how is that fair when NMW is put up 6.7%
Let’s hope half of those pensioners make it through the winter after being frozen and losing their Winter Fuel Allowance to gain this deemed rise they are owed.
Maybe DBF (Deeside Business Forum) and Flintshire County Council (FCC) should concentrate on reorganising their own houses and finances and ensuring that the advice and services offered to the broader business community are impartial and relevant to the current economic climate.
This would help support the much-needed local growth and ensure the organisations locally feel supported and nurtured to help them through the rocky roads ahead to support collaborative working and regional development.