Andy Burnham pledges to cut business rates for pubs, cafes and other small businesses if he becomes Prime Minister
Andy Burnham has promised to cut pub business rates by 20 per cent if he becomes prime minister.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, who is the Labor candidate in the Makerfield by-election, has announced he will try to oust Sir Keir Starmer if he wins.
He also promised to reverse tax increases that have affected hospitality and small businesses since Labor came to power.
The government is reassessing business rates and this, along with the removal of Covid relief, is expected to lead to higher taxes for restaurants, cafes, shops and other small businesses.
Following public reaction, a regulation was made in January to help bars and music venues with a 15 percent discount package to help with costs.
But Mr Burnham went further, promising to cut rates for pubs by 20%, as well as effectively eliminating the tax for the smallest concerns by increasing the threshold at which other small businesses must pay business rates.
He also said he was “sympathetic” to calls to reverse Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ increase in employers’ national insurance.
Labour’s candidate for Makerfield said: “Our high streets are important to me because they are important to the people who live here. I want to make sure these family businesses, which are the heart and soul of this country, are protected and given the chance to thrive.”
“I’m ready to be honest about where we’ve fallen short and say this is where my party has been wrong in Government. They’ve underestimated the contribution these businesses make to our livelihoods and communities.”
He added: “Reconnecting Labor to working class Britain means supporting our high streets and reconnecting with our local family-run businesses. I want to build a future where businesses in Makerfield can grow with confidence knowing we’re here for them. This starts by giving them a fairer tax system and supporting the people who run them.”
The cuts to pubs, which start in 2027-28, are estimated to cost around £100 million, the Telegraph said.
To fund his plans, Mr Burnham said he would increase taxes on online tech giants and their UK warehouses.
Mr Burnham told BBC Newsnight that the decision to increase national insurance contributions for employers announced in Ms Reeves’ first budget was wrong.
“I said that I thought the weight of the employer’s insurance burden was not the right decision, but this was the decision.
“More needs to be done to listen to the voice of small business, and I hear that voice a lot as I walk around this constituency.
“People feel like they’re at the limit of what they can do.”
Asked if he was open to stepping back, he said: “I agree with that, because I’ve said this before, this thing that I’m announcing today is not the be-all and end-all.”
