Mark Stewart, CEO of Stewart Golf, a Gloucestershire-based manufacturer of electric golf buggies, has resigned from his position as one of the government’s “export champions,” citing dissatisfaction with what he describes as Labour’s “anti-business policies” under Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Stewart, whose company exports half of its £7 million turnover to the United States, expressed frustration over what he sees as a growing climate of hostility towards small businesses in the UK. His resignation follows recent government announcements aimed at bolstering economic growth, including new airport expansion plans, updated regulations, and investments in technology clusters.

“I can’t be part of this,” Stewart told The Times after returning from a business trip to the US. “Every turn, there’s something that makes life more difficult for people trying to run small businesses like mine. I don’t feel we’re being supported or encouraged even to try and be better.”

Stewart specifically pointed to comments made by Labour’s shadow chancellor, who had criticized the UK’s business environment during a recent trip to China. The entrepreneur accused Labour leadership of undermining British optimism, saying, “Between you and the boss [Starmer], all you’ve done is talk down the UK.”

The 45-year-old CEO also expressed concern over government proposals for stricter employment rights and tax reforms that could negatively impact businesses, especially small and family-run enterprises. Stewart voiced particular dismay over the planned measures to impose higher taxes on family business asset transfers, an issue that has sparked concern among other small business owners. “I don’t want to be worrying about day-one employment rights. I want to be making great golf trolleys and trying to sell them,” he added.

Stewart was one of around 400 “export champions” appointed by the Department for Business and Trade to help expand UK exports. While he acknowledged the good intentions of the program, Stewart said that the policies and regulations surrounding it had become a burden that led to his decision to step down.

Not all export champions share Stewart’s views, however. Adam Sopher, co-founder of luxury popcorn brand Joe & Seph’s, has chosen to stay in the role, citing the opportunity to influence policy as a reason for remaining involved. Despite facing rising national insurance contributions and other cost increases, Sopher believes the government could do more to support small businesses’ expansion into Europe.

In response to Stewart’s resignation, a Department for Business and Trade spokesperson thanked him for his contributions but reaffirmed the government’s commitment to economic growth, stating, “Britain is back, open for business, and we’re focused on widening opportunities for businesses to export and break into new markets.”

Stewart’s departure highlights growing tensions between small exporters and government policies that they feel hinder competitiveness, despite high-profile efforts aimed at stimulating economic growth. Whether these new initiatives will address concerns from key figures in the SME sector remains to be seen.

Starting this Saturday, the price of wine and spirits in the UK will increase as the government adjusts alcohol duties in line with inflation. Additionally, new regulations will link tax levels to the alcohol by volume (ABV) content of each drink. This move is expected to raise the cost of many alcoholic beverages, particularly stronger options, while offering a small break for draught beer.

Under the updated system, stronger drinks will face higher tax increases. For example, the temporary reduction in wine duties, which ended last week, means that the duty on a 14.5% ABV bottle of red wine has gone up by 54p. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has expressed concern over these hikes, suggesting that they could lead to reduced consumer spending on alcohol, ultimately affecting government revenue. They also argue that the price increase could burden drink producers, particularly as the cost of production rises.

In contrast, the duty on draught pints will fall by a modest 1.7%, meaning the price of an average-strength pint will drop by about 1p. While this is seen as a small win for pubs, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) warns that the broader sector still faces significant financial challenges. Increased National Insurance contributions and higher minimum wages set to take effect in April could push up the cost of pints by as much as 30p to 40p, according to estimates. JD Wetherspoon CEO Tim Martin predicts that the rise in staff costs will cost the chain around £80 million annually.

The government, however, defends the policy, stating that it is part of an effort to “modernize and simplify” the alcohol duty system. A Treasury spokesperson highlighted the support being offered to lower-strength drinks, including an expansion of small producer relief for beverages with an ABV of less than 8.5%. This change is designed to help smaller-scale brewers and craft producers compete more effectively against larger companies and supermarket alcohol sales.

Despite the minor tax relief for draught drinks, pubs are still grappling with a wave of rising costs. The BBPA is urging the government to continue supporting the sector to avoid an “April cliff edge” when the new tax measures and cost increases come into effect. On the other hand, some union representatives suggest that large pub chains should absorb the additional costs rather than passing them on to customers.

As consumers face rising living costs, the latest alcohol tax adjustments are likely to have a significant impact on the price of wine and spirits. However, the changes could benefit smaller brewers and those offering lower-strength drinks, potentially helping them compete with supermarket alcohol deals.

Innovate UK has temporarily suspended its Smart Grants programme, which allocates £25 million annually, in a bid to overhaul how it supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The pause comes in response to issues with oversubscription and low success rates, which have reportedly dropped below 10%, and in some cases, as low as 2%.

The Smart Grants programme previously allowed SMEs to claim up to 70% of costs for commercially viable research projects. While successful recipients for the current round have already been notified, no additional awards will be made until the revamped initiative is launched. The new scheme is expected to be unveiled before summer 2025.

A spokesperson for Innovate UK explained that the review is aimed at addressing the “incredibly low” success rates and ensuring that support reaches businesses with genuine growth potential. “We know the effort and often the cost that goes into these applications,” the spokesperson said. “We want to make it easier for businesses to apply while ensuring our support goes to those with strong potential for scaling and job creation.”

This review aligns with broader government goals to prioritize companies with strong growth prospects. At present, applicants do not need to demonstrate their potential for future growth, a requirement that may change when the new scheme is rolled out. Innovate UK clarified that the pause is not a result of Treasury-led funding cuts.

The high competition for grants has led to an increasing reliance on specialist consultants by businesses, a trend that Innovate UK acknowledges has been draining resources. Some industry figures, including venture capital chair Ewan Kirk, have referred to this as a “tax on innovation.” Innovate UK aims to make the application process more accessible and inclusive to reduce these additional costs.

Innovate UK, which manages a budget of £1.1 billion, supports over 450,000 innovators annually, including more than 10,600 tech businesses through its Business Growth programme. However, recent criticism arose after the agency initially awarded only 25 grants in its £4 million Women in Innovation scheme, later increasing the number to 50.

As part of the review, Innovate UK is gathering feedback from SMEs. Interested businesses can participate in a survey available on the Innovate UK website.