Liz Barclay: UK Small Business Commissioner

Scottish Business Network

Honorary Scot Liz Barclay has a long history of campaigning for consumer justice and financial inclusion through her days at Citizens Advice, a distinguished career as a journalist and BBC Radio 4 presenter, and her seat on the Financial Inclusion Commission. Then in July 2021, Liz was revealed as the new UK Small Business Commissioner. The commission is an independent body set up by the UK Government to support SMEs by tackling the late payment practices of all too many big businesses. It's a huge problem for many smaller companies, with levels of late payment across the UK now totalling around £50bn. Liz Barclay is the perfect person to listen to on this topic, and a highly entertaining interviewee too. We also hear about her brushes with Duncan Bannatyne and Philip Green, her colourful Scottish connections and her truly extraordinary lockdown project. For the first time in 19 months, this Scottish Business Network podcast interview was recorded in front of an audience of real people in an actual room. It took place at London Scottish House on 7 September 2021, with Christine Esson expertly taking the interviewer's seat. www.allencomms.co.uk