With the general election approaching on 4 July, the race to win the votes of Britain’s small businesses is well underway.
But while we all patiently await the official manifestos of each political party in the coming weeks, Ambition A.M. takes a look at what some of Britain’s entrepreneurs are hoping to see.
“I want to see the government take bold action by significantly increasing funding for the NHS to transform women’s health services.
Hannah Samano, founder of women’s health platform Unfabled
“Closing the UK’s enormous gender gap represents a massive economic and societal opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore.
“The data is clear. Investing in women’s health research, innovation, and accessible healthcare has the potential to unlock nearly £39 billion for the UK economy alone while giving every British woman almost 10 additional days of good health each year.
“Shockingly, despite our nation’s wealth, the UK has the 12th largest gender health gap in the world. On a global scale, prioritising women’s health could boost productivity by $400 billion and dramatically improve the lives of 3.9 billion women worldwide. Despite the compelling case, women still spend a staggering 25% more of their lives in poor health compared to men.
“I want to see the government take bold action by significantly increasing funding for the NHS to transform women’s health services and make them more accessible nationwide. Additionally, we need policies that provide dedicated investment and support for businesses, scientists and wider researchers dedicated to tackling women’s health.”
— Hannah Samano, founder of women’s health platform Unfabled.
“The next government has to prioritise women’s health.”
Anna Butterworth, founder of women’s health trend platform Ultra Violet
“The next government has to prioritise women’s health. With the latest in a string of scandals about the diabolical maternal health outcomes coupled with the growing need for cognitive health solutions for women in the midlife, it’s an area that has to be addressed.
The most straightforward way to support women’s health is to fund women building innovative solutions to these issues. The British Business Bank ought to be setting their sights on funding the next generation of founders from diverse backgrounds to ensure that we are considering everyone in the future of this country.”
— Anna Butterworth, founder of women’s health trend platform Ultra Violet.
“It is crucial for the UK to enhance access to finance for small businesses.”
Triin Linamagi, founder of early-stage capital platform Sie Ventures
“Continued tax incentives for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) to invest in UK tech companies via S/EIS schemes are essential.
“The UK public and private sectors must collaborate to address the persistent diversity and gender funding gap in the tech ecosystem, which has remained unchanged over the past decade.
“We advocate for increased government incentives and initiatives to foster a more diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem.
“This could include tax incentives for HNWIs investing in companies founded by diverse founders, as well as new government incentives to support accelerators and funds that are addressing the diversity gap in the UK.
“Creating a more fair and equal support ecosystem is vital to make sure that the UK will remain the best place to start and scale companies that are aiming to solve the world’s most pressing problems.”
— Triin Linamagi, founder of early-stage capital platform Sie Ventures
“I want to see a more nuanced approach to migration in the UK.”
Karoli Hindriks, co-founder of global mobility platform Jobbatical
“High-growth businesses want to see an end to the talent shortage here in the UK. Foreign workers play a vital role in driving innovation and filling critical skills gaps across sectors like healthcare, engineering and AI.
“Instead of the indiscriminate crackdown we’ve seen from the current government in a bid to drastically lower immigration figures, I want to see a more nuanced approach to migration in the UK. One that balances economic pragmatism with controlled migration.
“The cost of the visa process is staggering compared to other European countries. Skilled workers on a path to permanent residency in the UK can cost nearly three times what they would in Australia, around 12 times what they would in Canada and around 43 times that of Germany.
“Making the UK a hostile environment for global talent risks ceding our competitive edge to other countries rolling out the red carpet for the world’s top professionals and entrepreneurs. British businesses deserve an immigration system that supports their need for skilled labour while mitigating potential downsides.
“Policymakers must engage earnestly with companies to find solutions – alienating the employers driving our economy is counterproductive if the aim is sustainable, inclusive growth benefiting all.”
— Karoli Hindriks, co-founder of global mobility platform Jobbatical
“The number one thing I need to see in the party manifestos are policies designed to boost the funding of female and diverse founders.”
Erika Brodnock MBE, co-founder of coaching platform Kinhub
“The number one thing I need to see in the party manifestos are policies designed to boost the funding of female and diverse founders.
“Prioritising this funding will enable these overlooked business leaders to effectively contribute to getting the UK economy back on track.
“I also want to see greater investment in the NHS and see policies specifically designed to support women’s health – particularly the health of low-income and global majority heritage women who are often disproportionately affected by late diagnosis, poor health and complications in pregnancy.
“Our relationship with work has changed drastically over the past few years and as a result there are more people out of work, or in different forms of employment, than ever before. I want to see the government prioritise productivity and career coaching for those in and out of work across the UK.”
— Erika Brodnock MBE, co-founder of coaching platform Kinhub
“We want to see greater education in the police force and within our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries about the legality and use of medical cannabis.”
Christopher Strauch, founder of UK medical cannabis clinic Alternaleaf
“Medical cannabis has been legal since 2018, yet we see that there’s a huge lack of awareness around the legal status of medical cannabis, both within the NHS and within the police force.
“This causes patients, many of whom are among society’s most vulnerable, unnecessary stress and shame.
“We want to see greater education in the police force and within our hospitals and doctors’ surgeries about the legality and use of medical cannabis and to see greater awareness building in communities too.
“Patients shouldn’t be fearful of arrest for holding or taking legally prescribed medical cannabis, nor should they come up against questioning when they need to use their prescription in spaces like hospitals or in public.”
— Christopher Strauch, founder of UK medical cannabis clinic Alternaleaf