The FSB is writing to all its 185,000 members encouraging them to start feeding in their election priorities and it is now turning its attention to those parliamentary hopefuls standing at the starting blocks in the race for Westminster.

Laying down the foundations of the FSB's election campaign, FSB National Chairman Carol Undy has reminded politicians and candidates to recognise the importance of small businesses to the UK economy. Carol Undy said, "With a general election on the horizon, the political parties will ignore small businesses at their peril.

"About 97% of all UK businesses employ less than 20 people. That's some four million firms. In other words in each constituency about 6,000 business owners will be eligible to vote at the forth-coming election. "SMEs are the job creators. They employ more than 58% of the private sector workforce - almost 13 million people. At the next general election around 20,000 voters in each constituency will be dependent on the success of small businesses for their livelihood.

"Small firms are also wealth creators. They contribute to over 50% of UK GDP and are responsible for 9 out 10 commercial innovations. Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy and Michael Howard have to recognise small firms are the large businesses of tomorrow." She continued: "The FSB urges all parties to put enterprise at the top of their policy agenda. "Freedom from red tape, a crackdown on crime, more investment in skills, better business support, increased spending on transport, a halt in the march of employment regulations and fairer and simpler taxes. These are big issues that should form the basis of any small friendly approach."