Politicians were bigging up local businesses to mark Small Business Saturday on December 3.

Small Business Saturday UK says it’s a “grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to 'shop local' and support small businesses in their communities”.

Darren Paffey, Labour candidate for Southampton Itchen (right), visits the refillery at Bitterne Park Stores on Small Business Saturday

The day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, SMEs make up 99% of the business population in the UK and create 16 million jobs.

Darren Paffey, Labour parliamentary candidate for Southampton Itchen, highlighted the difficulties faced by small businesses, citing “business rates, a crashed economy, soaring energy costs and supply chain issues”.

He stressed how businesses such as the Triangle’s Bitterne Park Stores and Crystal Clear Signs on Athelstan Road as local employers are crucial to the local community and Southampton's local high streets.

Paffey said: “I visited Bitterne Park Stores today, and it’s clear that businesses like this one need government to be a reliable partner that will listen to their concerns and take real, practical steps to help them thrive. Labour has a plan that will make a real difference for business owners looking to get on, both immediately and in the long-term.”

Meanwhile, posting on Facebook, sitting Southampton Itchen MP, Conservative Royston Smith said: “This Small Business Saturday I am delighted to support businesses across Southampton, such as the Mirror & Glass Boutique on Bursledon Road, Sholing, and Solent Kitchen Design on Macnaghten Road, Bitterne Park. Both businesses have been going for decades. Often we pass small businesses like these without a second thought, as they are so established, we just think they have always been there. Why not pop in next time you are passing.”