‘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’s high street tax plan carries £880m price tag Retail Andy Burnham’s plans to overhaul business rates in favour of Britain’s high streets could cost around £880m a year, according to new analysis, as questions mount over how the Labour leadership frontrunner would pay for one of his first major tax reforms. Forecasts by global tax firm Ryan suggest Burnham’s proposal to expand Small Business [...]
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, [...]
More than 200 pubs closed in six months amid tax hikes August 18, 2025 Eight pubs a week shut their doors for good across the UK over the first half of the year amid rising tax and labour costs, according to new figures. Industry bosses said it is “heartbreaking” and highlighted the need for supportive tax measures from the Treasury in the autumn budget. Official Government statistics show 209 [...]
Biggest manufacturers expected to pay £685m more in tax June 30, 2025 Manufacturers across the UK will have to cough up £685m more in new property taxes next year, new research has suggested, adding costs to several businesses which are struggling to boost output and already cutting back on headcounts. The government last week said it was ready to address high electricity prices for up to 7,000 [...]
Alarm bells as retail sales suffer largest fall in 18 months June 20, 2025 UK high streets suffered from post-Easter fatigue among shoppers as official data showed retail sales dropped by 2.7 per cent in May. The Office for National Statistics said a fall in sales in May represented the largest month-on-month drop since December 2023. A Bloomberg poll of economists expected retail sales to drop by 0.5 per [...]
Marston’s in ‘strong’ position as pub chain outperforms market October 9, 2024 Pub operator Marston’s has reported sales growth ahead of the wider market and said its profit this year will be in line with expectations. The FTSE-listed firm told markets this morning that total retail sales for the 52-weeks to 28 September were 5.8 per cent higher than the prior year, with growth in like-for-like sales [...]