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North East businessman wins seat alongside policy makers

WHEN Cameron and Cable sit down at their regular meetings to plot a route towards brighter times for British businesses, they will now be joined by a key figure fighting the North East’s corner.

The reluctance of banks to lend to small businesses, the fallout from the public sector jobs cull and the importance of SMEs in the recovery will all be on the agenda for North East businessman John Wright as he takes his place alongside the key parliamentarians.

As former Federation of Small Businesses chairman, Mr Wright has been appointed to the PM’s business advisory group, which meets quarterly, and at critical stages for the economy, to discuss key issues.

“I am there to represent small businesses but obviously coming from the North East, I am concerned about the region’s economy and the effect that possible cuts will have on the North East.

“At the first meeting I emphasised to the Prime Minister and the Business Secretary, Vince Cable how important the 4.8 million small businesses are to the UK economy. At future meetings I will be advising on the current concerns and priorities for small businesses.”

As well as being the immediate past FSB chairman, Mr Wright was chief executive and later managing director of a major training and management consultancy company from 1983 to 2009 and currently runs a business consultancy firm.

He is a former director of Tees Valley Business Link and has also been an arbitrator for Newcastle University.

He served on the first National Executive Council of Unison and previously served for nine years on NALGO’S National Executive Council.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .