The response from WAG was predictably one of denial, and reflecting its current strategy that if its spokespersons keep stating that the Economic Renewal Programme (ERP) will be helping small firms in Wales often enough, the rest of us may start to believe it.
However, it is interesting what the WAG spokesperson has noted in the article, namely that "The FSB were consulted extensively during the formation of this policy”.
In other words, the FSB agrees with the ERP and shouldn't now be complaining about its implementation.
Of course, the FSB, like all other organisations across Wales, was consulted over what should be in the Economic Renewal programme. However, as far as I am aware, no further consultation took place regarding the actual contents of the ERP published back in July, which was a closely guarded secret until the launch ‘party’ at Panasonic.
If that isn’t the case, then it would seem that WAG is now essentially stating that the FSB – the main business representative body in Wales – actually supports
- limiting soft loans to a “picking winners” sectoral approach
- getting rid of business support for thousands of small firms
- spending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on ultra fast broadband that the vast majority of its members neither wants nor needs
To date, small businesses up and down the land have had no opportunity to respond properly to the new published strategy from WAG. Given this, perhaps the best thing to do is for the FSB to put the ERP to the test and fully consult their 10,000 Welsh members on whether the strategy will benefit small firms in Wales.
Then we can find out whether the FSB membership does agree with WAG over the future direction of the Welsh economy or whether they believe that the small firm sector in Wales has been sold up the river by a government that simply does not understand the entrepreneurs of this nation.
