MARK IS LISTENING TO SMALL BUSINESSES

3.25.00pm GMT Mon 1st Feb 2010

Mark with Town Councillor Elizabeth Wood in Spennymoor Town Centre

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Mark Wilkes is hand-delivering over 1000 business surveys to small businesses across the Bishop Auckland constituency.

Mark, a councillor on Durham County Council, finished university with a law degree but chose to manage his family's small retail business for a number of years afterwards. He commented "As someone who managed a small business for six years before setting up on my own, I know only too well how difficult it can be. I wanted to find out first hand how people are coping and what their main issues are."

"In the first few hours of talking to business owners and employees in Bishop Auckland last Friday, it was startling just how many have cut back the hours of their employees. The impact of the recession is not showing any sign of diminishing. Across all of the main shopping centres of Shildon, Spennymoor, Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland, there are dozens of empty shops."

"I am waiting to get a much broader view of things, but from initial discussions, some of the problems in our towns are being exacerbated by parking issues and high rent and rates bills. Any government help is not filtering down to the high street. The VAT cut last year actually cost many businesses money. The billions spent on bankers is enormous compared to the pennies being spent to help our high streets."

"If help was working, we wouldn't have hundreds of empty business properties across County Durham. We need to stop wasting money on hairbrain schemes like the VAT cut, slash the red tape which has built up over many decades, and reform business rates to make our high streets vibrant attractive places to do business. The vast majority of jobs in this country are provided by small businesses.I hope to meet many more business owners in the coming days to discuss local and national issues."

Mark's survey includes the option to ask him to call in to see business owners. He does not feel offering stage managed events is a good idea commenting. "Most business owners are busy enough as it is without having to travel half way across County Durham for a chat with a politician. If any businesses in the Bishop Auckland constituency don't get a survey, but would like one, they can either email mark@bishoplibdems.org.uk , call him on 01388 435 025 or text him on 07809377177.