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A new survey released today by the Institute of Directors (IoD) indicates that businesses are still having difficulty accessing finance from their banks despite a fall in decline rates. According to the survey:
- 1 in 3 firms that applied for finance in the time period 1 January 2010 – June 2010 were declined by their bank.
- There is evidence that lending criteria have become more restrictive with regard to the amount of security requested by banks.
At the time of writing, on the morning after the general election, there are still a few results to come in but it looks certain that Britain is heading towards its first hung parliament since 1974. The Conservatives have the most seats but not enough for a majority. The Liberal Democrats failed to make the gains which their election campaign may have suggested but are in a good position to influence any legislation that a coalition government might make. The results have had an immediate effect on the markets with sterling taking a hit and the Footsie stumbling. The markets don’t like uncertainty and Miles Templeman, the director of the Institute of Directors has been quick to call for an end to what he calls ‘a political vacuum’. Whatever your political comple
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The last few weeks have seen a series of enjoyable punch-ups between the banking industry and everyone from the Federation of Small Businesses to the Institute of Directors. In a nutshell, the banks say that their lending policies are fair and that they are lending at the levels they should be. Those who want to raise finance from the banks have a very different view of events. Speaking ahead of the FSB annual conference in Aberdeen, Scottish Policy Convenor Andy Willox OBE said ‘There is still anger in the small business community – as there is in the public at large – that the failed banks we generously bailed out have repaid us by hiking charges, squeezing credit and, in some cases, even removing relationship managers from branches.’ Not to be outdone, the
