MP for East Renfrewshire Blair McDougall is the government’s new small business minister.
He was appointed as a minister in Keir Starmer’s reshuffle earlier this month but his full role has been confirmed today.
He takes over from Gareth Thomas MP who was appointed as minister for services, small businesses and exports in July 2024.
McDougall’s full title is minister for small business and economic transformation.
McDougall, who was first elected to Parliament in the July 2024 general election, has some self-employment experience.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a self-employed consultant between 2016 and 2024 “working across the UK and internationally to help organisations with their strategy and communications”. He offered an “executive speechwriting service for executives in NGOS, the private sector and progressive politics.”
The small business minister job is a key one following the recent publication of the government’s small business plan for how ministers intend to support small companies and entrepreneurs.
McDougall’s full ministerial portfolio is:
- entrepreneurs and small businesses
- scale-ups
- access to finance
- regulation
- corporate governance
- insolvency
- local growth and place
- Industrial Strategy Council
- Post Office
- postal services
Public bodies:
- British Business Bank
- Companies House
- The Insolvency Service
- Financial Reporting Council
- Regulatory Policy Committee
- Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies
- Small Business Commissioner
- Post Office