Family Business UK Chief Executive, Neil Davy, has been invited to join a new government taskforce aimed at reducing the administrative burden on small and medium sized enterprises.
The Small Business Taskforce will be co-chaired by Blair McDougall MP, Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation and Tina McKenzie MBE, Chair of Policy and Advocacy at the Federation of Small Businesses.
The Taskforce follows a government consultation, supported by FBUK Members, to design a plan for small businesses. The taskforce will now take forward this work, engaging directly with businesses to identify improvements to regulation and ways in which administrative burdens can be reduced.
Commenting on FBUK’s involvement in the Taskforce, CEO Neil Davy said:
“In recent years we have worked hard to put the voice of family businesses at the heart of policymaking. Family businesses are a critical but often overlooked segment of our economy. It is vital their unique contribution to the economic and social fabric of the country is better understood and supported. That recognition must be consistent across government departments and the design of regulatory systems must fully understand the unique model of family ownership.
“Our policy work in recent months has highlighted a consistent theme among family firms—the cost and administrative burden of simply doing business must be reduced. It is just one of the key recommendations in our Policy Agenda—alongside putting family businesses first—creating a fiscal and regulatory environment that both supports them and incentivises them to invest for the future.
“I look forward to taking forward the work of the Taskforce, to hearing from our Members and family businesses across the country to identify ways in which government can better support them to continue building Britain for generations.”
Members of the Taskforce include:
- Blair McDougall MP (co-chair), Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation
- Tina McKenzie (co-chair), Chair of Policy and Advocacy at Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
- Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business Britain.
- Polly Dhaliwal, Chief Operating Officer at Enterprise Nation.
- Neil Davy, CEO of Family Business UK.
- Charlotte Keenan, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs.
- Dr Roni Savage, CEO and Founder of Jomas Associates, Business and Trade Non-Executive Director.
- Joshua Toovey, Head of Policy and Research at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self‑Employed (IPSE).
- Kate Shoesmith, Director of Policy and Insight at the British Chambers of Commerce
- Iain Wright, Chief Policy and communications officer Institute for Charter Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW)
- Ed Woodall, CEO of Association of Convenience Stores (ACS)
- James Caroll, No10 Special Advisor
- Emma Jones CBE, Small Business Commissioner
- Katie Martin, Business Advisor to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury