‘Smoke and mirrors’: Why high street still faces a £250m tax hike under Healey Retail Andy Burnham propelled himself to Downing Street by pledging a revival of Britain’s struggling high streets. Felix Armstrong asks: has John Healey delivered it? Among the sectors clamouring for John Healey’s attention ahead of his maiden Budget, none were louder than those calling for the government to revitalise Britain’s ailing high street retailers. Shuttered shops, [...]
Burnham told to deliver 10 per cent hospitality VAT after backing tax cut Politics More than 800 hospitality businesses have called on Andy Burnham to make good on his support for lower VAT, piling pressure on the prime minister ahead of next month’s Budget. Pub giants, restaurant chains, hotels and some of Britain’s best-known chefs have signed an open letter demanding the government cut hospitality VAT from 20 per [...]
Britain lost one pub a day in 2025 Retail One pub a day closed its doors in 2025 as businesses were forced to battle mounting cost pressures and an increasingly heavy tax burden. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan showed 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in the last 12 months. Since 2020, nearly 2,000 pubs have closed for good, [...]
Sainsbury’s: Business rates ‘nothing more than an unfair tax on shops’ August 12, 2024 Sainsbury’s has urged the government to cut business rates and warned that failure to act could lead to over 17,000 shop closures over the next decade. It has called for a rate cut of 20 per cent in a bid to revitalise the high street and protect jobs. Not only would this project jobs, the [...]