BUSINESS people and Labour Party supporters in the Colne Valley shared ideas at a meeting in Marsden.
Shadow business and industry minister Ian Lucas, MP for Wrexham, was keynote speaker at the Doing Business with Labour conference, organised by Colne Valley Labour Party.
Joining him on the platform was Alex Mullen, of the Federation of Small Businesses, who stressed the crucial importance of the small firms sector to the UK economy.
“We were delighted with the event,” said local Labour Party chair Pat Colling. “We were able to sit down and discuss the views of local business people from the Colne and Holme valleys in a supportive and productive environment.”
Key issues to emerge included ways to strengthen village and town centres, environmental issues and the need for stronger government support for small shops and post offices.
Event chairman by Dr Paul Salveson, chair of Colne Valley Labour Party’s campaign team and a writer and consultant on rail issues, said: “This is the first time we’ve organised an event of this kind and we were delighted with the response from a wide range of local businesses.
“We were very much in listening mode and shared some great ideas to take back to Kirklees Council and the Shadow Cabinet.”
Kirklees council leader Mehboob Kahn heard views from a series of discussion groups and heard a long list of suggestions for how the council could help assist local shops and businesses.
Before the meeting, Mr Lucas toured a number of Slaithwaite shops and businesses with Tabatha Ellam, Colne Valley ward Labour Party’s candidate in the forthcoming local elections.
