MPs host successful business support webinar

Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon

Last Friday Oldham MPs Jim McMahon and Debbie Abrahams held an online support session for over 50 Oldham-based businesses.

The events panel was made up of experts from the Business Growth Hub, Darren Flannery and Phil Hargreaves, Oldham Council’s Deputy Chief-Executive Helen Lockwood and Chartered Accountant and managing partner of Brandsons Accountants, John Townsend.

So well populated was the event that at one point there were 60 participants on the call and it had to be extended to answer questions, and the MPs and panel were joined by people from pubs, manufacturing companies, independent shops, digital businesses, solicitors and marketing agencies.

After the event, Oldham West and Royton MP Mr McMahon said: “I really enjoyed co-hosting this virtual event with Debbie and I’m really grateful to our panel of experts who gave up their time to come and talk to Oldham-based businesses about the support available at the minute.

“It’s really useful for me and Debbie as Members of Parliament to know about the issues that pop-up with government schemes at the minute, so we can feed that back where we can and get things changed.

“So, thanks to our panel and thanks to all the businesses who came and joined us whether it was to ask or question or just listen to the answers, I hope it was as useful for you as I found it.”

Mrs Abrahams (pictured above), MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, said: “Like Jim, I found the seminar a really useful way to add to my understanding of the issues that business owners in Oldham and Saddleworth are facing during the current coronavirus crisis.

"Over the last few weeks much of my case work has focused on supporting these businesses and lobbying the Government on the gaps in funding support that still exist.

“It was disappointing to hear in the webinar that large businesses are still delaying paying their suppliers promptly causing real difficulties with cash flow.

"I will continue to put pressure on the Government about this.

“Small and medium sized businesses are the backbone of our economy and we, as politicians, must do all we can to help them survive this pandemic.

"How we support them now will determine the rate at which we can re-build our economy as we gradually emerge from this total lockdown.”

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