The national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) Hemanshu Patel, has again called on the Government to keep small shops at the heart of its growth agenda in a letter penned to Chancellor John Healey MP in the run up to his first Budget next month.
Patel’s latest call came as part of the Fed’s submission ahead of the next Budget, which is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October.
A similar call for action on business rates, rising operating costs - including above inflation increases to the minimum wage - and retail crime featured in an earlier letter to Healey, when he was appointed as Chancellor by new Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the end of July.
First response
Responding to that first letter in August, Healey wrote: “There is a great amount to do during the coming months and I look forward to working with you to achieve our mutual goals.”
Among the key concerns raised in Patel’s latest letter are crime and rogue traders on our high streets, a call for an increase to the National Insurance Contribution threshold to at least £7k and action on energy bills.
The Fed’s letter also asked the Chancellor to consider the impact of business rate increases and how smaller stores were losing out on Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) following the recent April revaluation, with a call on the Government to increase the threshold for SBRR from its current base of 100% relief level of £12,000 per annum, to £18,000 or higher.
”This remains a challenging time for our members…”
Concluding the letter, Patel wrote: “This remains a challenging time for our members and those across the independent convenience sector as they continue to face high taxation and high energy costs.
“While the Fed acknowledges the fiscal challenges the Government must deal with, we hope the needs of small retail businesses - and the wider social and economic benefits they provide - are also factored into the decisions you will need to make in this Budget and beyond.”
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