Your say: Stronger support for small brokers

We were disappointed to see the view expressed in the last issue of Post about small broker representation (Biba & IIB merger is bad news for small brokers).

Small members, and especially members of the Institute of Insurance Brokers, have never had stronger representation or a stronger support network now that the British Insurance Brokers' Association and IIB have come together.

Rest assured that small brokers have significant representation on the Biba board, including four ex-IIB board members, and throughout the committee structure at the enlarged association.

Barbara Bradshaw, as board member and executive director of Biba, has been working on a daily basis with a specific responsibility for small brokers, and is in the process of setting up a small broker focus group which we encourage all members not to just join, but to engage with.

A strategic review is also underway with input from the small brokers on the board and we have surveyed all members giving them the chance to influence and shape the future direction of Biba.

We announced to members in June that the lease on the Higham Ferrers premises was due to expire, and that the cost of renewal is prohibitive.

The mainly part-time administrative staff were given the opportunity of moving to alternative local premises but they chose instead to take voluntary redundancy based on the favourable terms negotiated by the IIB.

The merger is a significant step forward in broker representation. There are big issues affecting members and the combined voice is much stronger than fragmented messages.

We are committed to fighting for all brokers, large and small.

Barry Fehler, South Essex Insurance Brokers
Bryan Whicher, Oamps
Bob Pybus, NPA Insurance
Barbara Bradshaw, Biba

Author clarification
With reference to the Eurozone crisis feature Continental Thrift, published in the 9/16 August edition, Post would like to clarify that the author, Mark Stephen, is UK insurance leader for PWC - and not Deloitte as the print version of the article incorrectly states. We would like to apologise for any confusion this may have caused.