This week I was also appointed as the Small Business Ambassador for the Conservative Party for Kent and the south east of England. The purpose of the role is to promote the interests of smaller and start-up businesses to Ministers and policy makers in government, and I hope that I can use this position in particular to further champion the interests of business in Kent. More people work in small businesses than in larger ones, and they are the life blood of our economy. We are fortunate in East Kent to have business support schemes like the £35million regional growth fund which is already helping local businesses to invest and create new jobs now. My role as an Ambassador for Small Businesses also builds on my work since the general election as President of our local Chamber of Commerce. I would also like to encourage all new business who have been trading for less than three years to enter the Start-up hub competition that I have set up with the Conservative Party. The 12 competition finalists will be given the chance to promote their business, free of charge, at our special Start-up Hub stand at the annual Party Conference. You can find out more information about this, including testimonials from previous finalists, online at www.conservatives.com/startuphub.