Town tells Bank of Dave founder their Budget hopes

Dave Fishwick set up a community bank offering loans to people in his hometown of Burnley

Business owners in Burnley say the autumn Budget needs to address the rising costs of both goods and staff wages.

They have been speaking on BBC Breakfast to businessman and Bank of Dave founder Dave Fishwick, who set up a community bank offering loans to people in his hometown.

He says the Budget "could be the difference between survival and not" for some local businesses.

Cafe owner Christine Dobson Moore told him "a lot of the politicians haven't lived in the real world, they're not us".

Cafe owner Christine Dobson Moore said business had been "quieter"

"They haven't survived off a fiver for a week like we have, and it's heartbreaking at times.

"You get some some nights and think 'what's the point?'," she said.

Ms Dobson Moore, who runs Sanwitches Café in Sabden, said business had been "quieter".

"The main problem for us is the national living wage," she said. "It's probably going to go up again and we're struggling now to pay our employees."

Harry says if he puts his prices up, customers "get a bit iffy"

Harry, who runs a burger van Smash Burgers, has been in business for six months.

The 17-year-old said: "I'd like to see inflation come down on oil prices, because my oil, I was paying £5.50 for five litres, and it's gone up to £8.50, a 40% increase at least."

He said seeing prices come down would "definitely help me, because otherwise I have to put prices up, and then people get a bit iffy".

He would like to see "access to funding, making sure it's easier for the younger people to be able to gain money".

Veka commercial director Tim Taylor said national insurance contribution will affect the business

Window manufacturer Veka has 420 employees in Burnley.

Commercial director Tim Taylor said as a business and an employer "national insurance contributions have been at the forefront of our thinking for some time".

He said the "indirect tax" will "affect employers in the long term".

"It won't have an impact on day one on individuals on the shop floor here, but we do have to start planning," he said. "The amount of money we're going to invest over here in the next three to five years is colossal, so we've got to have long term growth."

Businesses in Burnley "need something out of this budget that's going to help them move forward", Dave Fishwick said

Labour's first Budget for 14 years will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday and she has warned it will involve "difficult decisions".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his government would take "tough decisions", opting to raise taxes in order "to prevent austerity and rebuild public services".

Mr Fishwick said: "Chancellors, they're in London, they're in ivory towers, they're not here having steak pudding, chips, peas and gravy. This is real."

He said businesses in Burnley "are all saying the same thing, they need something out of this budget that's going to help them move forward".

"The cost of living, the energy crisis, fuel duty, whatever it is, this could be the most important budget ever," he said. "Let's hope they get it right."