What do businesses want from their new MP?

Among the people keenly waiting to see who the next MP for Runcorn and Helsby will be, are those who own businesses in the area.

A by-election is set to take place on 1 May, after the seat became vacant following the resignation of former MP Mike Amesbury.

The constituency is home to businesses large and small.

So, what would those who own businesses like to see their new MP do for the area?

Hairdresser Rachel Goodall runs Rachel's All Good Hair at Ragdolls in Runcorn Old Town.

She told BBC Radio Merseyside that small businesses needed more support.

She added she was worried about VAT increases and other rising costs, because "in a small town like this, you need to make sure you don't have to put your prices up too high, because people will stop coming".

Ms Goodall said Runcorn's old town needed more shops.

"When I was younger, coming down to the old town on a Saturday morning was a highlight – we'd go to the market, the bakery and the football.

"But now there's nothing to do", she said.

Kayleigh Urmson, who owns cafe Deja Brew, also in the old town, also expressed concerns about the high street.

She said because "there's not much going on in the old town" it meant that fewer people were coming across her business.

She also said she remembered there being a broader range of businesses when she was younger, but that now the choice felt limited to only "three different types of shops".

Ms Urmson added: "I think a massive issue is small businesses that want to expand into shops, but the fees and rents are just so high that no one's able to have the opportunity unless they have a lot of money or just risk everything.

"It was a massive risk for me."

Ben Griffin, the managing director of Asset Lifecycle Solutions, which processes redundant IT equipment for businesses, said staffing was his key concern.

One of the main aims of his business is employing young people, especially those who have struggled to find work.

"Social value and sustainability are a lot of what we do. We want to give back to the community.

"We're proud of where we're based and we want to ensure we're employing people from the local area."

But he said the business needed more support to help it employ local staff.

"We need better transport, more reliable transport, and we need support to recruit people into the area," he said.

Rajeewa de Fonseka, a director of Weststone Construction, said rising costs have had a big impact on his firm.

"National Insurance costs went up recently, and that to me, as a business, adds £1,000 per person and I paid 150 people last year, so that's an increased cost to the business," he said.

He said he was also concerned about access to work, especially when competing against bigger companies.

"The biggest thing for me is releasing the delayed projects, that'll allow me to grow as a business and employ more people," he added.

Carole Howes, the chief executive of software technology company Chatty Learning, said growth was one of her main concerns.

She said she was proud to be from the area and have her business provide services to the school she went to, but she said she was looking to expand.

"I'm looking for support to scale the business.

"I employ people from Halton and Cheshire West, and the majority of our staff are from here.

"We're ambitious and want to employ more people in this area. As a woman founder, it'd be really good to get support with investment to help us scale up our plans."

The Runcorn and Helsby by-election takes place on 1 May. There are 15 candidates standing, and you can see details of all of them here.

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