STROUD MP Neil Carmichael will be out on the high street supporting local businesses on Small Business Saturday (December 7), the biggest day of the year for the UK’s small businesses.

The nationwide initiative is aimed at encouraging people to support their local shops, and is particularly important to the towns of the Stroud district, which are famous for their boutiques and independent retailers.

Small Business Saturday is likely to be one of the biggest shopping days of the year, and is a key opportunity to highlight the value of independent shops in boosting the local economy.

Neil Carmichael has been a long time supporter of protecting small businesses and high streets in the constituency, and was the architect of the IN OUR TOWNS project, which promotes the towns and high streets of Stroud, Wotton-under-Edge, Painswick and Dursley.

Speaking ahead of the day, Mr Carmichael said: “It is vital that we continue to support our small businesses and high streets, and I hope that people buying gifts will be visiting independent retailers this Saturday.”

As part of the day, Gloucestershire County Council has announced that it will be backing the campaign by waiving charges for on-street parking throughout the county for Saturday, December 7, which normally costs an average of £2.70.