Budget tax hikes would be ‘road to ruin,’ Healey warned September 6, 2026 A top business trade body has warned Chancellor John Healey that tax hikes at the October Budget would set the UK on the “road to ruin”. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged the Chancellor not to “pile more taxes on firms,” saying that the Treasury should instead cut the costs facing firms to [...]
Retailers call for ‘lifeline’ from Healey as cooler weather fails to boost footfall September 4, 2026 Britain’s retailers have called for a “lifeline” from the Chancellor John Healey after footfall fell again in August despite cooler temperatures. Total footfall in the UK fell by 1.7 per cent year on year last month, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Though shopping traffic fell at a slower rate than July’s [...]
Tesco and M&S warn Burnham against Budget tax raid on retailers September 1, 2026 Top supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer have urged Andy Burnham to rule out a Budget tax raid on retailers, warning they are already facing “unsustainable” costs. The Retail Jobs Alliance (RJA), which represents retailers employing more than 1m people, has urged the Prime Minister not to prioritise pubs and bars over high [...]
Burnham accused of ‘piecemeal’ business rates reform August 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has been accused of taking a “piecemeal” approach to business rates instead of committing to Labour’s manifesto pledge to replace the tax system. The government has launched a review into how business rates bills are calculated for pubs and hotels, but industry bodies have urged the Prime Minister to commit to wholesale reform [...]
Back bookshops in bid to rebuild high streets, Burnham urged August 16, 2026 Leading authors have called on Andy Burnham to roll out emergency support to the UK’s small bookshops as part of his pledge to save Britain’s high streets. The bestselling writers, along with 200 booksellers, have written to the Prime Minister, urging him to set out a business rates relief package for bookshops as they contend [...]
Andy Burnham to ‘go further’ in business rates reform August 12, 2026 Andy Burnham said he would “go further” in introducing business rates reform after already announcing that property taxes would be cut for pubs in return for higher levies on vape shops. The Prime Minister said he will look to bring in more radical changes to the business rates system as part of efforts to ease [...]
Hilton, Butlins left fuming over business rates snub July 24, 2026 Hilton and Butlins have been left fuming after being snubbed by Andy Burnham’s pledge to slash business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues. The two hospitality giants said that hotels and resorts have been unfairly ignored by successive government interventions to cut the business rates bills of hospitality firms. Stephen Cassidy, senior vice president [...]
‘Dwarfed by other costs’ – Why cutting business rates for pubs won’t save the sector July 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has unveiled his long-awaited support for the UK’s struggling pubs, but the hospitality industry is contending with far more pressures than just business rates Andy Burnham’s pledge to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues is expected to save each venue more than £1,000 next year in a move that comes [...]
‘Ever-widening gap’: Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin urges Burnham to cut more pub taxes July 23, 2026 JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin has called on the Prime Minister to go further to reduce the soaring tax burden faced by pubs. The chairman of the UK’s best-known pub chain said Burnham’s decision to slash business rates for pubs is an “implicit recognition that the hospitality sector is over taxed”. The Prime Minister announced [...]
Burnham set for crunch decision on JP Morgan’s £10bn tower July 16, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government will face a crunch decision on the future of JP Morgan’s flagship tower in Canary Wharf as it weighs whether to uphold a major tax break for the project despite opposition from industry groups. The next Chancellor will serve as the final arbiter on the framework of a business rates exemption for [...]