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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Tories bid to help small business | Tories bid to help small business |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has called on the government to allow small businesses to defer paying their VAT bills for up to six months. | Conservative leader David Cameron has called on the government to allow small businesses to defer paying their VAT bills for up to six months. |
| Writing in the Observer, he also urged local authorities to pay small businesses for their services within 20 days, rather than the customary 30. | Writing in the Observer, he also urged local authorities to pay small businesses for their services within 20 days, rather than the customary 30. |
| And he said banks must "stop the march to mass insolvencies" and treat small businesses "fairly". | And he said banks must "stop the march to mass insolvencies" and treat small businesses "fairly". |
| Mr Cameron said: "Britain's small businesses need our help." | Mr Cameron said: "Britain's small businesses need our help." |
| Mr Cameron said further Conservative plans to help families, homeowners and entrepreneurs would be laid out "in the coming months". | Mr Cameron said further Conservative plans to help families, homeowners and entrepreneurs would be laid out "in the coming months". |
| He added: "We intervened to prevent the beating heart of our economy - the financial system - from collapsing. We've got to do the same for its lifeblood. | He added: "We intervened to prevent the beating heart of our economy - the financial system - from collapsing. We've got to do the same for its lifeblood. |
| "Small and medium-sized businesses employ over 13 million people and turn over £1,440bn a year. | "Small and medium-sized businesses employ over 13 million people and turn over £1,440bn a year. |
| "In the short term, we've got to help families up and down the country with proposals to get them through the downturn. | "In the short term, we've got to help families up and down the country with proposals to get them through the downturn. |
| "In the long term, we've got to repair our economy by getting the public finances back in order." | "In the long term, we've got to repair our economy by getting the public finances back in order." |
| Rising repossessions | Rising repossessions |
| Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper, has called on banks and building societies to be more lenient on home owners who default on their mortgages. | Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper, has called on banks and building societies to be more lenient on home owners who default on their mortgages. |
| She told the Observer there needed to be a more responsible approach to repossessions. | She told the Observer there needed to be a more responsible approach to repossessions. |
| "We need to do everything that we can to keep people in their own homes," she said. | "We need to do everything that we can to keep people in their own homes," she said. |
| The Council of Mortgage Lenders is predicting that the number of homes repossessed this year will reach 45,000, up from 26,000 last year. | The Council of Mortgage Lenders is predicting that the number of homes repossessed this year will reach 45,000, up from 26,000 last year. |
| Ms Cooper said there was "clearly going to be tougher times ahead" and that no government could prevent a slowdown in the light of the current global problems. | Ms Cooper said there was "clearly going to be tougher times ahead" and that no government could prevent a slowdown in the light of the current global problems. |
| But she said: "What we can do is step in and, by dealing with the problems in the banking system, prevent the worst of the credit squeeze hitting people." | But she said: "What we can do is step in and, by dealing with the problems in the banking system, prevent the worst of the credit squeeze hitting people." |