A former Financial Planner has urged Theresa May to “limit the damage and discouragement of Britain’s small business owners” as a Brexit deal is forged.

Mark Brownridge, director general of Enterprise Investment Scheme Association, has joined forces with other entrepreneur organisations.

The bodies have formed the Small Business Taskforce, a coalition of 11 organisations, set up by Emma Jones MBE, co-founder of StartUp Britain and one of the Prime Minister’s Trade Ambassadors.

Mr Brownridge, who left Mazars Financial Planning to take the EISA role at the in August, said an open letter to the Government was important in representing the views of over a million small businesses and self-employed individuals.

He told Financial Planning Today: “The taskforce aims to put small businesses and entrepreneurs firmly on the Governments agenda post Brexit.

“Whatever the final negotiations, we should ensure it limits the damage and discouragement of Britain’s small business owners.

“Together, we represent over a million small businesses and self-employed individuals, and besides an improved dialogue, we are calling on the government to ensure our labor market remains flexible, the tax regime reasonable, business support stable and our focus international.

“With these aims in mind we have written to MPs and Government with recommendations with the objective of delivering prosperity, economic and social return to our country.”

EISA will also be calling for legislative changes to improve the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme as part of the taskforce.

Mr Brownridge said: “In particular, EISA wants to see elements of the EIS and SEIS regimes reformed so that more businesses are eligible for funding, as well as the process by which companies apply for EIS and SEIS funding approval to be accelerated – currently a backlog in this process is holding up companies from growing as quickly as they could, which has a knock-on effect across the EIS sector, all the way through to the private investors who are providing the funding for these businesses.”

Regarding Brexit talks, the taskforce called for the government to provide “clear and unequivocal reaffirmation of the long-term residence rights of EU citizens currently working in the UK”.

It wants the Government to commit to keeping the labour market flexible to give the UK a comparative advantage and a guarantee of no increases to National Insurance.

It wants reassurance that consultation will continue to be carried out with those representing small firms ahead of introducing any further tax changes, for example quarterly digital tax data and any potential exemptions and reforms to Corporation Tax.

The body’s aim will be “to ensure the small business base of Britain can continue to prosper, delivering economic and social returns to our country”.