Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Labour’s 5-point plan to breathe life into Britain’s high streets (Main Street)
The Labour Party ^ | The Labour Party

Posted on 04/10/2024 11:35:51 AM PDT by RandFan

Under the Conservatives, Britain’s high streets are on the decline.

There are now 3,710 fewer fruit and veg shops, butchers, and newsagents than there were in 2010.

Rishi Sunak’s recession has hammered small business and consumers alike, with the soaring cost of living, eye-watering mortgage and rent payments contributing to businesses closing and shops boarded up.

And since 2022 alone, an additional 385 towns have seen their last bank branch close, or announce that they will be closing imminently. This has left local people and businesses without any options to bank locally.

The decimation to small business is coupled with record levels of shoplifting – up more than 30 per cent in a single year – and persistently high levels of antisocial behaviour, with a third of the public witnessing or experiencing it in their local area over the past 12 months. This is leaving shops and shoppers crippled by crime in their communities.

As part of Labour’s missions to get Britain building again and take back our streets, we will work to rejuvenate our high streets and bring economic growth back to towns across the country.

How Labour will restore Britain’s high streets (Main street)

1. Tackle anti-social behaviour and shoplifting

So that people feel safe when they go out to shop, eat or socialise in their local high street, putting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and PCSOs back on the beat, paid for by cutting police bureaucracy and outside contracts​, and scrapping the Tories’ £200 rule which stops shoplifting being investigated.

2. Roll out banking hubs

Thriving high streets need banking services for local businesses and customers. Labour will roll out banking hubs to guarantee face-to-face banking in every community boosting local high streets and shops. The cost of opening and operating the hubs will be met collectively by the banks.​

3. Replace business rates

Labour will replace business rates with a new system of business property taxation which rebalances the burden and levels the playing field between our high streets and online giants.

4. Stamp out late payments

Small and independent retailers shouldn’t be forced to wait months to be paid for work by big clients. Labour would introduce tough new laws to stamp out late payments and make sure more money gets to high street firms.

5. Revamp empty shops, pubs and community spaces

People won’t visit high streets blighted by unsightly boarded up shops. Labour will give communities a strong new ‘right to buy’ beloved community assets to revamp high streets and end the blight of empty premises.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: 2manylaws
High St. = Main Street.

This is a policy document.

1 posted on 04/10/2024 11:35:51 AM PDT by RandFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: All

More cops and banks

I dont know if it’ll work...


2 posted on 04/10/2024 11:37:27 AM PDT by RandFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

Imagine a world in which a Labour Party sounds more pro-business than a Tory Party.


3 posted on 04/10/2024 11:42:05 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (Kafka was an optimist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: who_would_fardels_bear

They’re only doing it for cheap votes

Will they deliver ? Who knows.


4 posted on 04/10/2024 11:44:31 AM PDT by RandFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

Like the USA, it feels like re-arranging deck-chairs on the Titanic

Socialist central-planners and their schemes, using printed money and lots of debt are the root of the problem

schemes to subsidize one faction or activity over another are ultimately useless.


5 posted on 04/10/2024 11:47:24 AM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan
UK Tories - squishy pretend conservatives.
UK Labour - serious communists.

The Tories are going to be crushed in the next election. Then we’ll see just how enlightened Labour is.


6 posted on 04/10/2024 11:49:18 AM PDT by Leaning Right (The steal is real.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

15 minute cities.


7 posted on 04/10/2024 11:49:18 AM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

If the Labour Party can morph into something like the Reagan Democrats in opposition to the Tory Party which has morphed into a Neocon pyramid scheme, then maybe there is some hope for Britain.


8 posted on 04/10/2024 11:52:04 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (Kafka was an optimist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30

The NWO are bleeding the life out of towns and cities .


9 posted on 04/10/2024 12:15:15 PM PDT by RandFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

Yes, but the reason for these inner city markets is so you stay in your 15 minute city because everything is provided.


10 posted on 04/10/2024 12:18:37 PM PDT by Jonty30 (He hunted a mammoth for me, just because I said I was hungry. He is such a good friend. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

IOW... instead of rolling back the socialist policies that dug the hole you are in... shuffle the deck chairs and business as usual?

Yeah... that oughta work. /sarcasm


11 posted on 04/10/2024 12:27:17 PM PDT by Dead Corpse (A Psalm in napalm...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan
Executive summary: Make High Street totally dependent on government for physical and economic security.

More Socialism.

12 posted on 04/10/2024 12:35:08 PM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RandFan

Their solutions will do nothing.
They imposed a tax to enter the city among many other taxes to keep vehicles out. That is customers out.
Until at the minimum they get rid of their congestion tax then business will not recover.


13 posted on 04/10/2024 3:57:01 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson