Independent convenience retailer, Amit Patel, owner of Belvedere News and Wine, hosted a small business hustings event at Belvedere Community Centre in his store’s Erith & Thamesmead constituency.
Amit arranged the hustings event to allow local small business owners to question the constituency’s prospective MPs about pressing issues affecting their businesses and raise awareness of their concerns within the local community.
“The main reason for arranging the hustings event was to give the candidates the opportunity to meet small business owners” said Amit. “More importantly, it gave small businesses owners the chance to question the Prospective Parliamentary Candidates about what they will do for businesses like us if they are elected into office”.
During the hustings event, a vast variety of topics were discussed including local issues, business rates and taxations, finance opportunities, retailers’ need for support with regulation, National Minimum Wage and employment.
Prospective Parliamentary Candidates who attended the hustings event included: Ann Garrett - Green Party, Anna Firth - Conservatives, Graham Moore - English Democrats, Sidney Cordle - Christian Peoples Alliance, Simon Waddington - Liberal Democrats and Teresa Pearce - Labour. Edward Woodall, ACS’ Head of Policy and Public Affairs, chaired the event which was attending by a mix of local small business owners and residents.
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “With the election this week, it is essential for convenience retailers, like Amit, to engage with their store’s local candidates to show them just how crucial local shops are within their constituency”.
A video of the day's hustings event can be viewed on the ACS YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMvuLG6qmZw
