'If we truly want people to live locally, raise families and build lives here, the answer is not to destroy the businesses that keep rural communities afloat'

A TIME-SERVED electrician struck a chord with thousands of people when he shared an eloquent letter spelling out the misery being experienced by small businesses in Gwynedd.

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His message, posted on social media, was the online equivalent of a fist being slammed on a table saying “enough is enough”.

Paul Filby, who turns 60 this summer, poured out his soul in a bilingual letter distributed to local and national politicians all the way up to the Prime Minister.

In it, he pleaded for a review of policies which, he said, were eroding the county's “economic and social fabric”.

When the same letter was posted online, he was shocked by the reaction.

“It was viewed 22,500 times,” said Criccieth-born Paul, who now lives in Garndolbenmaen. “Usually my posts get 50 views if I’m lucky. It obviously resonated with a lot of people.”

For the past 38 years, Paul has run an electrical contracting firm in Gwynedd.

Among his staff is his son William who, at the age of 30, is struggling to buy a house in Gwynedd for his young family.

Instead, he's renting a property 65 miles away in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham.

Each day he commutes to the company’s Porthmadog base, aware the family's enterprise is not immune from the crisis facing small businesses.

“Before last year's General Election, things were relatively stable” said Paul.

“Since then, things have rapidly gone downhill. Turnover has halved.

“Just one policy decision, increasing National Insurance, will add £16,000-£17,000 to our costs, which we have no choice but to pass on to our customers.

“In this area, we don’t have heavy industry: the local economy is dominated by tourism and agriculture.

“Some 75% of our business comes from the tourism sector, and it is struggling. Holiday businesses just aren't spending, instead focusing on reactive maintenance because of the state of the local economy.

“I've been through several recessions in the near four decades I've run this business, and I know how to double-down when things get tough.