Local MP Graham Stuart has welcomed a bold new Conservative pledge to scrap business rates for shops, pubs and cafés, a move he says will breathe life back into East Yorkshire’s high streets and help get Britain working again.
The plan will give 250,000 small businesses across the country a complete break from business rates including hundreds right here in Beverley, Hedon, Withernsea and across the East Riding.
Under the new Conservative plan:
- Shops, pubs and hospitality businesses will get 100% business rates relief.
- It applies to premises worth under £110,000 in rateable value.
- The move is fully funded by savings found through government reform, not higher taxes.
The announcement forms part of the party’s wider mission to “Get Britain Working Again”, which also includes the £5,000 First Job Bonus to help young people into work.
Graham is a long-standing advocate of business and is known as a loud voice for business in the House of Commons. Graham started a magazine while still at university, which he built to be a thriving publishing company.
Graham regularly visits businesses large and small throughout Beverley and Holderness.
Graham said, “This is fantastic news for our local traders. Our high streets are the heartbeat of our communities, but they’ve been hammered by Labour’s tax hikes and economic mismanagement.
“Labour doesn’t get business. We do. Conservatives are on the side of business, the publicans, shopkeepers and café owners who graft day in and day out to keep our towns alive.
“Too many pubs and shops have shut their doors since Labour’s first budget. They doubled business rates overnight and sent costs through the roof. It’s time to turn that around. This Conservative plan will cut taxes, cut red tape and get local businesses hiring again.”
