We must protect our high streets

With this General Election inevitably dominated by Brexit, each week we’ll put another issue under the spotlight. Here, we take a look at the pressures facing UK high streets in the digital age.

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The decline of the high street has been the topic of much discussion in recent years, with a rise in online spending blamed for falling numbers of shops and restaurants.

Since the closure of Woolworths in 2008, the UK’s high streets have been hit by a string of collapses, from department store chain BHS to children’s retailer Toys R Us.

According to analysis by the Local Data Company, the rate of empty shops across Great Britain stood at 13% for the first half of 2019, the highest rate since 2015.

The rate of empty leisure units, such as restaurants, is also growing, with 8.9% of units empty in the first half of 2019, the highest rate since the Local Data Company’s records began.

Usdaw, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, says that more than 74,000 people lost their jobs as a result of store closures last year, and has called for urgent action to protect the 4.5 million jobs that rely on the success of the sector.

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw’s general secretary, said: “The retail sector is facing one of the most challenging periods in its history.

“The retail sector is a fundamental part of the UK economy, directly employing three million people, with a further 1.5 million jobs reliant on the success of the industry; every store that closes impacts negatively, not just on local communities and our town centres, but on the wider UK economy.”

As the number of pubs, estate agents and newsagents continues to fall, rebuilding Britain’s high streets is likely to be at the heart of the debate in the next few weeks.

But what plans do each of the major parties have?

While the Conservative Party have promised to “get Britain back on the road to a brighter future”, including lowering taxes for businesses, Labour have launched a five-point plan to rebuild the high street, including banning ATM charges and introducing free bus travel for under-25s.

As they head into their first general election, the Brexit Party have announced plans to reduce tariffs on food, clothing and footwear, while also introducing a “small online sales tax” to help reduce business rates for retailers outside London.

Though they have not yet published a full manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have promised to ensure that big businesses “pay their share” of taxes, and plan to introduce free childcare and an investment into skills and training.

And the Green Party also hope to introduce a “community banking network” across the country, which would support small businesses in towns where mainstream banks have pulled out.