Tina McKenzie has been confirmed as interim national chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, as Martin McTague steps down from the role to become a member of the House of Lords, the organisation has announced.
McTague’s peerage was announced last month, when he was named as one of 26 new members of the House of Lords in the political peerages list published by Downing Street on 16 July. The FSB said he is expected to be formally introduced into the Lords following the summer recess.
McKenzie has been a member of the FSB’s board of directors since 2021 and has spent the last four years as national vice chair for policy and advocacy.
In that role, the FSB said, she has led engagement with senior figures in the UK government and opposition parties on issues including the cost of doing business, changes to employment rights, international trade and late payments by big businesses to their smaller suppliers. She will continue to lead that engagement as interim national chair.
“Small businesses and the self-employed are at the heart of the economy and communities in every part of the UK,” McKenzie said. “Small firms are facing a lot of headwinds and cost pressures at the moment, and it’s absolutely vital that FSB is there as their leading champion at the highest levels.”
She added: “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Martin for the huge contribution that he has made over his many years as an FSB volunteer, including the last four years as National Chair.”
McTague has been an FSB volunteer for more than 20 years at local and national level. He became national chair in 2022, having previously held the national vice chair role for policy and advocacy that McKenzie went on to occupy.
“I’m incredibly proud to have had the privilege to represent FSB members and the wider small business community, and to have met so many amazing, innovative and inspiring small business owners along the way,” McTague said.
His ten years in the FSB’s two board leadership roles, he said, had covered “some of the most difficult and challenging times for small businesses”, “from the protracted Brexit process to the COVID pandemic, as well as significant economic challenges, political chaos and rising costs”.
“Leaving my role as FSB National Chair to take up my new position in the House of Lords doesn’t mean I’m abandoning my passion for championing the UK’s small businesses,” he said.
The FSB said its board of directors, chaired by McKenzie, will continue to provide non-executive strategic direction, while the organisation’s operations will continue to be carried out by staff teams across the UK, led by chief executive Julie Lilley, executive director Craig Beaumont and a wider senior management team.
Lilley said: “I’d like to thank Martin for volunteering his time, expertise and determination to FSB over the last 20 years, including the last four years as National Chair. I warmly congratulate him on his peerage, and I know he will continue to be a great champion of small businesses.”
She said she was “delighted” McKenzie had agreed to take the interim role, “bringing to the role the same dynamic zeal she has shown as Policy and Advocacy Chair, and before that as Chair of the Policy Unit for FSB Northern Ireland”.
