Small business rep leaves "tick box" government body

A member of the government's Small Business Forum has resigned in protest over the government's behaviour, the Telegraph reports.

Sean Taggart, group manager of the Kent-based Albatross Travel Group, is said to have complained that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are no longer being listened to by government.

The Small Business Forum is convened by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. It replaced the Small Business Council which was dissolved in May 2007.

According to the Telegraph, Mr Taggart's letter of resignation states that the forum "serves no significant purpose in influencing government policy", and that it had "become merely a 'tick box' for an SME engagement agenda that appears to focus more on one-off events rather than meaningful long-term dialogue and understanding".

The criticism adds pressure on the government to demonstrate that it is listening to small businesses. In an interview with the Telegraph on Monday, outgoing SME champion at the Confederation of British Industry, Steve Sharratt, said that small firms no longer trust the government.