Following bubbling optimism at the start of this summer, excitement over the change in government for UK business owners appears to have gone flat.
Last week, an online petition calling for a general election went viral. The petition, started by pub landlord Micheal Westwood, has amassed over 2.6 million signatures in just six days, causing ‘petition for general election’ to trend on Google Search and prompting Sir Keir Starmer to rule out another vote.
Hospitality firms are reeling from the recent Autumn Budget, which gave little cause for confidence from entrepreneurs. Speaking to the MailOnline, the man behind the petition has explained why he is already calling for the “negative” Labour government to be replaced.
“Labour negativity annoyed me”
Alongside running a beer distribution company, Westwood is the leaseholder of three pubs in the West Midlands. He has gained notoriety in the past for pulling the UK’s ‘cheapest pints’ at his pub, The Waggon and Horses, where all beers, ciders and ales cost £2.90 or less.
Speaking to MailOnline, Westwood revealed he started the petition last Wednesday after growing fed up with the current prime minister. Despite having been in office for just four months, Westwood said he felt put off by the party “being so negative all the time”.
“They were putting the fear of God into people that everything was so bad”, he said. “They had also gone back on their manifesto promises. I was just frustrated at what I was seeing and hearing it all the time and it really annoyed me.”
Bitter Budget to swallow
Westwood has said that he voted Conservative at the last general election. His concerns could be dismissed as ‘sore loserism’. That’s the tact Starmer has gone for anyway.
Asked about the petition on ITV’s This Morning programme on Monday, Sir Keir said, “Look, I remind myself that very many people didn’t vote Labour at the last election. I am not surprised many of them want a re-run.”
However, Westwood’s concerns also reflect the cool reaction from businesses towards last month’s Autumn Statement. Despite calls for measures that boost confidence, the announcement made for grim reading, with a number of tax hikes unveiled, plus the controversial decision to increase National Insurance contributions (NICs) from employers.
In an open letter published at the start of this month, hospitality industry leaders warned of job losses and closures as companies grapple with their new tax bills. Pubs, bars, and restaurants have already been struggling with staff shortages and a growing pay crisis.
“It is just going to make it harder for small businesses and there will come a time when many just say ‘I’ve had enough’ and call it a day,” said Westwood.
New Labour optimism?
The prime minister has been quick to dismiss Westwood as a bad sport. But the SME vote was key to Labour winning the general election, and while the party promised to “pull up the shutters” for firms, it has been slow to action manifesto pledges such as business rate reform.
Pre-Budget, Startups surveyed 531 SMEs about their thoughts on the new government. Some 36% of UK businesses said the Labour party was most supportive of small firms.
This was ahead of the Conservative party, which won 20% of the vote, and the third most popular answer: “None of the Above,” which 12% of businesses chose. Positive for Starmer, but if that was a shareholder vote, he’d be far from out of the woods.
Westwood might be wishing that the Blues had won in July, but the rest of the small business population could soon be hoping for a secret third option: a Labour government that can deliver a vision that will propel SMEs forward, not one that simply maintains the status quo.
