Britain no longer a nation of shopkeepers

THERE are nearly 4,000 fewer fruit and veg shops, butchers and newsagents under the Tories, Labour analysis reveals.

It comes as the party vows to “breathe life” back into high streets if it wins the next election.

Shadow cabinet ministers Angela Rayner, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper will launch a plan to “rescue” the nation’s retailers as they claim “14 years of decline” under Conservative rule has contributed to a “staggering” reduction in traditional local stores.

In addition to the fall in greengrocers, butchers and newsagents, the party found that 385 towns have seen their last bank branch close, or announce it will be closing imminently, since 2022.

It also cited record levels of shoplifting – up more than 30 per cent in a year – and high levels of anti-social behaviour, with a third of the public witnessing or experiencing the problem in their local area over the past 12 months.

During a visit to the Tees Valley yesterday, Ms Rayner, party’s deputy leader, Ms Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and Ms Cooper, the shadow home secretary, will pledge to “rejuvenate” the UK’S towns and city centres with a five-point plan.

This includes tackling anti-social behaviour by putting 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers and PCSOS on the streets and scrapping the £200 shoplifting rule that has effectively decriminalised thefts below that amount.

Labour would introduce banking hubs to guarantee face-to-face services in every community and replace business rates with a new system that “levels the playing field between our high streets and online giants”.

The party would also bring in laws to end late payments and give local people a new “right to buy” beloved community assets to revamp empty or boarded up retail space.

Drawing on data from the Office for National Statistics, Labour found the number of fruit and veg shops fell from 3,260 in 2010, when the Tories took office, to 2,540 in 2023 – a drop of 22 per cent. And the number of butchers fell from 6,380 to 5,445, while newsagents nearly halved – from 4,510 to 2,445.

Ms Rayner said: “Our town and city centres are an untapped strength of Britain’s economy. Yet across the country the paint is peeling, the pavements are cracking, and people just aren’t getting what they want when they visit town.

“Tory chaos has cost the country dearly, and every region has paid the price. Labour will use the full force of government to get behind our high streets and spark the decade of national renewal that communities deserve.”

Bim Afolami, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, responded by accusing Labour of making unfunded pledges.

“Labour have restated their pledge for a £30 billion tax change without saying how they are going to pay for it. Labour can’t tell you how they’d pay for their pledges because, just like their unfunded £28 billion a year decarbonisation promise, they don’t have a plan,” he said.

“That will mean just like every Labour government before higher taxes on working families and back to square one.”

He added: “Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a plan which is working.”