What will the major political parties offer small businesses in the general election? Come to a hustings to hear from high profile guests from across the political spectrum.
With a General Election fast approaching, we’ve teamed up with Enterprise Nation, IPSE, Coadec and ICAEW and to bring you a key insight into the small business policies of the major political parties. The panel event will include high profile representatives from across the political realm, who will outline their party's plans for SMEs if they make it to No. 10.
CHAIR
Dan Thomas, Executive Editor of the News, Financial Times
Daniel Thomas is the executive news editor for the FT. He was previously deputy companies editor, telecoms correspondent and head of the Technology, Media and Telecoms team in London, property correspondent and FT Money reporter. He has worked for various over titles covering property, advertising, finance and media.
SPEAKERS
The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities
Liz Truss was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade on 24 July 2019 and Minister for Women and Equalities on 10 September 2019. She was elected as the Conservative MP for South West Norfolk in 2010. Liz was previously Deputy Director at the political think tank Reform. She also worked in the energy and telecommunications industry for 10 years as a commercial manager and economics director, and is a qualified management accountant.
The Rt Hon Sir Edward Jonathan Davey, Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats
Sir Edward Jonathan Davey FRSA (born 25 December 1965) is a British politician serving as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2019. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston and Surbiton from 1997 to 2015 and returned to the seat in 2017. He served in the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2012 to 2015, having previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with responsibility for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs, since 2010. Davey ran against Jo Swinson in the 2019 Liberal Democrats leadership election.
Bill Esterson, Shadow Minister (International Trade) & Shadow Minister (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)
Bill Esterson MP (born 27 October 1966) is the Labour MP for Sefton Central, first elected at the 2010 general election. He has served on the following Select Committees; Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Education, Community and Local Government, Treasury. Esterson was appointed as Shadow Minister for Small Business in September 2015.
Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of the Green Party
Amelia Helen Womack (born 12 January 1985) is a British politician. She has served as Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since September 2014 (alongside Shahrar Ali for the period 2014–16). She was re-elected Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September 2016 for a second two-year term, and then again in September 2018.
Benyamin Habib, Brexit Party member of the European Parliament
Benyamin Naeem Habib (born 7 June 1965) is a British politician, and businessman. He was elected as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the 2019 European parliamentary election. Habib is the chief executive of First Property Group plc, a commercial property investment and fund management company. Prior to setting up First Property, Ben was managing director at a FTSE 350 reinsurance broker. He was educated at Rugby School and Cambridge University.