Soaring numbers of micro businesses means ministers should rethink its policies affecting entrepreneurs, the RSA think tank has warned.

An RSA poll of more than 1,000 micro firms, those employing under 10 people, revealed that 43 per cent thought that government support was not enough.

RSA senior researcher Benedict Dellot, said: “Micro businesses are the new political force to be reckoned with, but the government has yet to win their favour.

“Business support remains confusing and superficial, and we have an archaic welfare system that does little to recognise or reward those who want to work for themselves.”

The poll, carried out between late February and early March this year, also shows that 77 per cent of firms believe politicians put the needs of the party before those of the country and 61 per cent argue that the welfare system is stacked against them.

But there was also good news for the government from this sector, with 63 per cent of firms either agreeing or strongly agreeing that the economy is heading in the right direction.

And good news for the Tories: 46 per cent of respondents said they were the best pro-business party, compared with only 10 per cent saying the same of Labour and five per cent of the Lib Dems.