Star hopes to Badger Brown

The 30-year-old, who was brought up in Wednesfield in Wolverhampton and came runner up for a top job with Sir Alan Sugar in 2006, was back in the city to launch a scheme to offer advice to people setting up their own businesses.

She said the number of people being made redundant meant there were plenty of people with lump sums of cash to set up their own companies.

But the former Our Lady & St Chad Roman Catholic School pupil had harsh words for the Government and its handling of the recession and said more needed to be done to get people spending again.

Speaking to the Express & Star the entrepreneur, who now runs a successful consultancy and employs more than 30 people, said: "I'd like a few minutes to sit and talk about it with Gordon Brown.

"The problem for me is a lack of understanding from the Government. They know what's wrong but not how to put it right.

"It is about giving the consumer the confidence to buy again. A two per cent VAT reduction won't do that and neither will a handout to a car maker when no-one feels able to buy a car.

"You only have to look at places like Bristol to see row after row of unsold cars.

"Instead the Government needs to offer help to get down the cost of living and give people back their disposable income. Fuel is about 88p a litre but why not 58p?"

Ruth said that small businesses could survive the credit crunch and even thrive if they invest wisely.

She said: "Wolverhampton just doesn't seem to have the confidence but there's still plenty of money to be made. Now is absolutely the right time to be starting up in business."

Ruth was launching the Workspace, a £2.5 million enterprise centre for small businesses in All Saints Road. The centre, which has been planned for five years, offers advice and support for people thinking of going into business.

For details on Workspace see www.theworkspace.org.uk or call 01902 877530.