The managing partner at an accountancy firm with offices in Cumbria has spoken about his hopes for the spring budget.

Managing partner at Moore and Smalley, Graham Gordon, believes that Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond should “just let business owners get on with it.”

Accounting, business advisory and wealth management firm, Moore and Smalley, has offices in Kirkby Lonsdale and Kendal.

Mr Gordon said: “With the budget just a couple of weeks away, my message to Philip Hammond is simple – do nothing.

“Workplace pensions, business rates, the national living wage, the Making Tax Digital laws; I can’t remember a time when businesses have faced so many major distractions.

“That’s before we even talk about tax where we recently overtook India as having the longest tax code in the world.

He added: “Our entrepreneurs are being prevented from running successful businesses that create jobs and wealth, we don’t want anything else getting in the way.

“How can we expect people to invest in their businesses when they have so much else to deal with?

“Unless the chancellor can do something so overwhelmingly positive it balances the economy, boosts exports and creates jobs in one fell swoop, I’d advise him to do as little as possible in this budget.”