Business leaders say they are hoping the outcome of the General Election will finally deliver the stability needed to help firms prosper.

The Conservative Party defied expectations by winning the poll with a sizeable majority.

And after months of a political impasse which has left Brexit constantly hanging on the horizon, firms now hope progress can be made to allow them to plan with some form of certainty.

Alison Parmar, Kent and Medway development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), echoed comments made by its national chairman Mike Cherry.

She said: "Small business owners will be hoping today’s result helps to bring stability back to the economy.

“After more than three years of Brexit absorbing government bandwidth, the Conservative Party has pledged to tackle the many domestic challenges that have been neglected during that time.

“In the coming weeks we’ll see a Queen’s Speech and steps towards leaving the EU next month. Amid this, small businesses the length and breadth of the UK will be looking to the new government to achieve positive change for small firms in its first 100 days, not least with publication of a pro-business Budget in early February.

“Delivery of the Conservative Party’s campaign pledges to us must now become an urgent government priority. The new government has listened to small businesses on bread and butter issues. It’s now time to turn kind words into tangible action.

“This government needs to deliver a business-friendly Brexit, one that protects the three 't's: trade, talent and a proper transition. The third of those is absolutely critical. We have to avoid a scenario where we suddenly crash out of the EU with no time for small firms to prepare for what’s coming next.”

Meanwhile, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents thousands of landowners, farmers and rural businesses agree stability was now essential but warned Brexit was still likely to present plenty of issues during 2020.

President Mark Bridgeman said: “Some will breathe a sigh of relief that this result at least brings a degree of political certainty. But for all the claims of ‘getting Brexit done’ the idea that Brexit ends on January 31 is wrong.

“We will have less than a year to negotiate a free trade agreement with Europe or else once again 'no deal' is back on the table. This timeframe is hugely optimistic, though with a sizeable majority in parliament, at least the Prime Minister can negotiate with a greater degree of strength than before the election.

“We will do what we can to help government negotiate comprehensive agreements not just with the EU but across the world. But government needs to earn the trust of rural communities by guaranteeing that UK farmers will not be undercut by cheap imports produced to lower standards.”

Read more: For full election coverage and results from across Kent

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