Labour unveils plan to save England's high streets

Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer take to the streets of Great Yarmouth

Labour has set out its plan to help England's struggling town centres, including tax cuts and council powers to take over empty shops.

Leader Sir Keir Starmer promoted the party's high streets policy during a local election campaign visit to Great Yarmouth.

He claims businesses have been "held back by 13 years of Tory economic failure".

But the Conservatives say his promises are "uncosted".

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said the government was supporting firms with the cost of business rates as part of its plan to reduce inflation and grow the economy.

The government has a fund towns can apply for to support high street rejuvenation projects. It is also giving councils new powers to take over empty high street properties.

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Sir Keir's visit to the coastal Norfolk town, along with his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, comes three weeks before the local elections, due to be held on 4 May.

Labour used the visit to unveil its "five-point plan" aimed at bolstering local high streets.

In recent years, high street shops have faced increased competition from out of town shopping centres and online shopping services, as well as rising bills and the coronavirus pandemic.

According to BBC analysis, there were 9,300 fewer retail outlets in March 2022 than March 2020 as consumers switched to online stores.

The number of tattoo studios, cafes, takeaways and beauty services have increased, while department stores, banks and clothes shops have declined.

To support local high streets, Labour says it would:

• Cut business rates for small businesses, paid for by raising taxes on online companies such as Amazon; Labour has said it wants to scrap business rates altogether in the long term

• Introduce a £700m voucher scheme allowing small businesses to make energy efficiency measures, for example installing double glazing or buying electric vehicles

• Tackle late payments to small businesses, by forcing big businesses to publish information on payment practices in their annual reports

• Give local councils powers to take over empty shops and reopen them without consent from property owners

• Introduce town centre patrols as part of its pledge to recruit 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSO officers

Sir Keir said: "Britain's businesses already give so much to our economy, and hold a huge amount of potential and promise just waiting to be unlocked.

"But they're being held back by 13 years of Tory economic failure. The Tories crashed the economy, and business and working people are still paying the price on higher interest rates."

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for business, Sarah Olney, said: "High streets are the lifeblood of local communities, yet this Conservative government doesn't seem to care.

"Liberal Democrats would abolish the broken business rate system and replace it with the fairer Commercial Landowner Levy." The levy, proposed by the party, would shift the burden of tax from tenants to the landowners of commercial sites.

Ms Olney said her party's plan would "give a much needed boost to struggling high streets across the country, by cutting taxes for retailers in most areas".