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Small business owners believe that the government is making it more difficult for them to cope with rising costs, according to a poll of more than 9,000 business owners by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The research found that almost 90% of small businesses said that government policy covering area such as employment, tax and fuel are making already crippling business costs even worse.

The overall assessment of the government’s performance on small business issues was even more damning, with 96% of respondents to the FSB poll saying that they were unhappy with the government’s record.

John Wright, FSB national chairman, said: "With the end of a period of relative stability, small business confidence in the government has plummeted in the past couple of years."

He added: "Policies have left many small firms feeling that their concerns are not being taken seriously enough.

"All we see is government consulting big business, with small businesses being left out of the loop. But small businesses produce over half of UK GDP and it is important that their needs are addressed if we are to get through the current economic difficulties."

The FSB represents more than 215,000 members.