In her weekly column for Sussex World, Alison Griffiths – MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton – writes about the challenges facing businesses.

Local businesses, especially our smaller, independent enterprises, are the lifeblood of our local economy – creating jobs and adding prosperity and character to our communities.

I am doing everything I can to support them through these challenging times.

Before becoming your MP, I worked in senior roles for global businesses including pensions provider Aviva, and Coca-Cola, as well as for smaller, entrepreneurial technology businesses.

Alison with Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee.

placeholder image — Alison with Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee.

I know how important it is for a business of any size to feel supported by government so they can invest in the future. This benefits us all.

In her last Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an increase in the amount of National Insurance that employers must pay, alongside increases to the minimum wage and higher business rates for many. This is already having a disastrous impact on both the local and national economy.

Local businesses have told me that to pay these additional costs, they have either had to reduce or stop pay rises for staff; reduce hours or freeze recruitment; or raise prices for customers. Some have had to implement all of these measures.

Although the Chancellor pledged not to raise taxes on “working people,” this ignores the direct impact of her measures. We might not (yet) be paying more in direct taxes, but we are paying more for goods or services.

For the first time, the Chancellor has imposed inheritance tax on family businesses (exactly in the same way she has for family farms), making it much more expensive to transfer business assets from one generation to the next to ensure the continuation of jobs and services.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is in the process of getting her Employment Rights Bill through Parliament. It will add further costs to businesses as well as increasing risk and bureaucracy.

It will be particularly damaging to the seasonal and hospitality industries that we have in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, upon which our tourism depends.

The new legislation restricts an employer’s ability to hire when demand is greatest and recruit less when roles are not needed. This will affect those who favour flexible work (like our students and pensioners) as well as the businesses. I have spoken about this in Parliament on numerous occasions.

At my invitation, Liam Byrne MP, Chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Select Committee (of which I am Vice-Chair), came to the constituency to hear directly from local businesses.

Another Budget is looming, and the mood music is not good.

Rachel Reeves must now find an additional £50 billion since her mismanagement of the economy started a year ago. My fear is that she will now choose to increase taxes on your home and assets.

I am here to continue to support every kind of business in the area – whether it be in the manufacturing, hospitality, tourism, leisure or service sectors.

Please email me at: [email protected] or write to: Alison Griffiths MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA if you need to contact me about any matters.