Cameron pledges to help black entrepreneurs

27/09/2010

Cameron pledges to help black entrepreneurs Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron plans to tackle the "racial barriers" he believes prevent black African entrepreneurs starting-up businesses.

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, the politician said "too many people are denied the chance to escape poverty and build a better life for themselves and their family" adding that this was "especially true for people in Britain's black community". A national mentoring programme, which would be funded by the Tories, would aim to help thousands of aspiring black business people who can struggle to get bank loans.

According to Cameron, Black African-owned firms are more than four times more likely than white-owned firms to be denied a loan. Nearly half (44%) of entrepreneurs from black African backgrounds and more than a third (39%) of those from black Caribbean backgrounds admit that fear of rejection deterred them from a loan application. The figure for white entrepreneurs is just four per cent.

Cameron said: "I want to take down the barriers that stop so many black people realising their potential. Partly, we'll do this through our core reform agenda. By tackling the causes of poverty … we can succeed where Labour failed."