Small business owners look likely to vote for the Conservatives who they say better represent their interests.

New research from uSwitchforbusiness.com has revealed a stark shortage of confidence in the UK election by small business with four in ten business owners claiming that political parties are unconcerned about SMEs.

Britain’s SMEs have apparently been left feeling abandoned and disenfranchised in the election run-up, says SME energy broker service uSwitchforbusiness.com, and its research reveals that 25% of small business owners are still undecided on which political party to vote for in what is expected to be one of the most highly fought political races of our time.

However, despite these worrying claims, the Conservatives are out in front when it comes to picking which party to vote for. Over a quarter of small business owners say that this is the party which best represents  and supports their interests, compared with just 7% for Labour and 1% for the Liberal Democrats.

Gordon Brown clearly has a lot of work to do if he is to win small business owners over. More than 75% of SMEs say that the current government hasn’t done enough to help them through the recession, and 18% say that a change of government is key to a full and speedy economic recovery.

Jake Ridge, Small Business Expert at uSwitchforbusiness.com, said: “Small businesses are vital to the wealth and wellbeing of the nation. They are the backbone of Britain, accounting for over half of all private sector employment and private sector turnover. For this alone they deserve which is why it’s so worrying that so few believe the main political parties have small business at heart.”

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has painted an equally gloomy picture from the view of British businesses about the impending election. According to its latest Monthly Business Survey, nearly two thirds of businesses (65%) are “concerned” or “very concerned” about the potential impact of a hung parliament.

David Frost, Director-General of the BCC, commented: “With our economy still fragile and the public finances in a dire state, the overwhelming concern is whether a hung parliament will provide decisive action around the UK’s unsustainable deficit.

“Whatever the outcome of the election, whether we have a coalition government or not, we must see a credible plan to reduce the deficit and restore confidence within 90 days.”