Letter from Parliament - Simon Danczuk MP

Photo: Journeaux

Simon Danczuk

Revitalising Britain’s high streets is a big challenge that this government failed get to grips with in the last parliament. They must not show the same indifference to small shops owners this time, and that is why MPs are already pressing the Prime Minister to get on with a long overdue review of the business rates system.

Yesterday David Cameron admitted that not everyone will win from the review, and many will take that as a coded warning that supermarkets and big business will again be protected at the expense of small local businesses. This was certainly the case in the last parliament where ministers cynically cancelled a revaluation of business rates in order to protect London firms and save the big four supermarkets over a billion pounds in extra taxes. The result was that small shops lost out and ended up with artificially high bills.

In Rochdale we had the absurd situation of a fish and chip shop paying a business rates bill that was three times higher than their rent.

The system is clearly broken and needs to change, but we need to make sure that any changes help small business and the high street rather than squeezing them further.

We know the consequences when businesses go under, and we have seen that recently in Rochdale with Carcraft. I was pleased to be able to speak in parliament this week and I will continue to demand answers and government support for the staff and customers who have been so badly affected.