Employers

Priti Patel Excerpts

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)]

It is a pleasure to speak in this debate, and to listen to a range of views, but I genuinely think that Government Members should begin with an apology to employers, for a number of reasons. First of all, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury insulted them all a few weekends ago, basically saying that employers are not working people. It was a flat insult to the millions upon millions of people in family-run businesses, probably just like the parents of the hon. Member for Loughborough (Dr Sandher), who just gave a lecture on his views about employment and employability.

Fundamentally, small and medium-sized enterprises—hard-working family-run businesses—have always been the backbone of Britain and the British economy. I have a lot of time for the Minister. He is a great survivor, and he deserves some kind of accolade for his long-standing defence of his Government’s tax-grabbing, job-destroying policies, and even for his references to fiscal discipline—we can talk about that—but the Government need to wake up to the adverse impact of their economic policies for employment. We see devastating impacts on small businesses across the country and their ability to function. They are working hard and putting in long hours just to keep the lights on and manage their cash flow. The Government need to demonstrate some humility and acknowledge that right now.

--- Later in debate ---

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

Order. Once again, “you” and “your” are not to be used when referencing colleagues.

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I do not want to insult anybody, but it is important for Members to speak on these issues if they have credible experience of them—if they have set up a business and come from a business background. I am afraid that government has become a blunt instrument now. Things are far too binary. The Government are not even thinking through the overall impact of their decisions on local businesses, and then they come to the Dispatch Box defending broken pledges. This House should spend much more time talking about our pride in the nation’s businesses. They are the wealth creators and employers who give people a hand up in life. They give people economic security.

I will speak for my great county of Essex, because I do not think it gets enough airtime in this Chamber. We are a county of entrepreneurs. Despite the damage that this job-destroying, business-bashing, tax-grabbing Labour Government are doing to our economy, we are fighting hard to survive. We have a range of amazing businesses, and I will list them, because I think the House might have experienced some of the fine produce from Essex. Wilkin and Sons in Tiptree makes the jam that is in the Tea Room. Linden Lady chocolates, made in Copford, are sold in the House of Commons shop. There is a range of Essex farmers and food manufacturers, whom we all depend on. A colleague spoke about food security; that matters. Maldon Salt, a very famous brand, comes from my constituency as well.

On the Opposition Front Bench, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch and Upminster (Julia Lopez) touched on pubs, salons and all those other employers that provide the gateway to jobs for young people. Those are the types of business that we must support—we absolutely need to give them a hand up right now. We need reductions in national insurance, and we must recognise that in a significant way. Businesses think that Labour Ministers have no idea about the fact that they are working 70 or 80 hours a week just to keep their businesses afloat. That work is to generate tax revenues that this wasteful and bloated socialist Government are, quite frankly, destroying in an unjustifiable way.

There must be a recognition, because businesses in my constituency feel let down by Labour and seriously want to fight back against the increase in national insurance, the red tape from the infamous Employment Rights Act 2026 and the taxes on family farms. Businesses are constantly facing a rising tax burden. Even the reliefs in the recent Budget, which Ministers want to gloat about, will not compensate for the overall pain that businesses are facing.

The Minister spoke about fiscal discipline, but fiscal discipline alongside high levels of borrowing and debt will not give the financial and economic stability that local businesses need in our country. Debt is not going down, and borrowing is going up. We know who pays for all that: businesses pay for it all. Ministers come and go—we all know that—and they can make whatever defence they wish, but the reality is that it is hard-pressed taxpayers who are constantly filling Government coffers right now for higher debt and borrowing. Businesses need some latitude and leeway—they really do. I implore and urge this Government to reconsider many of the policies that they are putting in place.

There is a silver lining; it is called the Finance Bill. When that sees the light of day on the Floor of this House, it will give Members the opportunity to challenge the Government to give headroom and breathing space to businesses by lowering taxes, being more responsible on national insurance contributions and freeing up businesses to employ more people. Importantly, it will give Members the opportunity to challenge the Government to give the British people the freedom to succeed and live their lives, completely unshackled from the burdensome taxes that this Government are constantly putting on them.