AN MEP and city councillor have called for a 'level playing field' for local firms after marking Small Business Saturday.

Labour's Anneliese Dodds and partner Ed Turner, an Oxford councillor, visited Bannisters cafe in Iffley Road with daughter Isabella, nine months, and son Freddie, three.

They praised the cafe and said firms like it added 'a huge amount to our local economy'.

Grassroots initiative Small Business Saturday is now in its fourth year and celebrates the 5.5m small businesses in the UK.

Ms Dodds said: "I was delighted to support Small Business Saturday here in Oxford. Labour started Small Business Saturday in 2013 but it is now supported by many other parties and organisations who want to celebrate our small businesses.

"Small businesses like the team running Bannisters cafe add a huge amount to our local economy, promoting diversity and choice for local consumers.

"But they also often face huge challenges."

Uncertainty caused by the UK's vote this year to quit the European Union had led to 'difficulty accessing finance to the uncertainty concerning trade and prices', she added.

The MEP said: "I'm calling, with the rest of the Labour Party, for more of a level playing field for small businesses, so that they can grow to provide more of the jobs of the future."