Julia Lopez, MP for Hornchurch & Upminster, brought London’s Deputy Mayor for Business to Harold Hill and Hornchurch today to understand the challenges facing local traders, and push for Sadiq Khan to give greater priority to London’s outer boroughs.
The visit coincided with the launch of Mrs Lopez’s first constituency-wide business survey and comes ahead of Small Business Saturday, the yearly celebration of Britain’s entrepreneurs.
Mrs Lopez invited London’s Deputy Mayor, Howard Dawber, to sit down with Harold Hill’s shopkeepers to hear about issues affecting them.
The local MP has just launched her first small business survey to identify how many traders are being hit by tax changes, crime and loss of access to cash and banking services so that she and her team can campaign on the issues that matter most. The survey comes off the back of Mrs Lopez's petition to keep Harold Hill’s Post Office open, after it got earmarked for closure at the end of last month.
The MP and Deputy Mayor then met traders in Hornchurch, where Mrs Lopez has been working closely with the police, Hornchurch retailers and the council to tackle shoplifting. She pushed Mr Dawber to encourage Mayor Sadiq Khan to keep Hornchurch Police Station open and devote more officers to outer London.
Mrs Lopez began the day at Royal Mail’s Harold Hill sorting office to see how they prepare for the Christmas rush, and rounded it off by visiting one of the constituency’s best known small businesses - Giggly Pig farm. Its owner Tracy Mackness has just completed major work to her business, after support from the MP helped the farm to secure a grant from the last government for her to build an onsite butchery.
Commenting on the day, Mrs Lopez said:
“The people who set up small businesses are economic heroes – giving residents great services, employing local people and paying tax.
“Being a business owner can be incredibly tough. I worry that the recent Budget, with increases in Employer National Insurance Contributions and a reduction in Business Rates Relief, will hammer rather than help small businesses here in the constituency.
“That’s why I have spoken up in parliament, launched campaigns to push back against retail crime and keep cash access, and brought the Deputy Mayor over to Havering to see how Mayor Khan can better support London’s outer boroughs.
“I’m grateful to Howard for joining us today, and hope lots of small businesses take part in my new survey so my team and I can focus on the priorities that matter most to Havering’s entrepreneurs.”
