Last updated at 14:58, Tuesday, 20 March 2012

The Chancellor should slash National Insurance and introduce a fuel price stabiliser in tomorrow’s Budget, Cumbria’s small business chief has said.

Gary Lovatt, county chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), told George Osborne to forget about temporary measures to boost the economy in the short term and instead spell out a long-term strategy for growth

“It cannot be emphasised strongly enough that business does not want a raft of temporary schemes and micro-measures that play at the edges of economic issues,” he said

“We need to be encouraging businesses and entrepreneurs in areas like Carlisle, Penrith and west Cumbria and we hope that this Budget will be a positive one.”

The FSB is calling for a reduction in National Insurance contributions for employers, which it says will create jobs.

First published at 11:24, Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk