We battle bravely as we wait for strong leadership

At the start of the year, I searched for good things to stimulate a positive approach to doing business with clients across the country.

- Graham Robb

Running a small business and dealing with 70 other firms with a combined turnover of over 8 billion, I have firsthand knowledge of what it’s really like to be an employer in 2026.All the entrepreneurs that I spoke to in the first two weeks of 2026 were able to summon up new energy to justify an optimistic outlook.

Firstly, interest rates are on a downward spiral. Secondly, inflation is also set to fall by April, according to the Bank of England. These are two critically important things because they impact both the cost of running a business and consumer sentiment.

However, after two weeks of being generally positive, many of the businesspeople I talked to have now encountered the same old routine of an economy that is stagnating, regulation that is stifling and taxation on their businesses that is increasing. Hospitality and pub businesses have it particularly hard.

It appears the positive arguments about interest rates and entrepreneurship belong in areas of the economy where the government has no control, and the negative aspects come along once you introduce Labour Ministers and their instinct to tax and spend.

I'd like to think the world of politics offers some solutions but the opposition to the Government is fragmented. Reform’s lead in the polls has come down significantly, with one poll this week putting it only 5% ahead of the government and only 4% ahead of the Conservatives. On the left the Green Party is not far behind.