'Government must do more to help Shropshire's fantastic high street businesses' says MP

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has renewed calls for radical reforms to business rates following a visit to high street businesses in Oswestry this week.

Mrs Morgan met the owners of Niche Patisserie, Covent Garden Fruit & Veg Shop, Booka Bookshop, and The Oak Furniture Shop to discuss the current challenges and difficulties they are facing operating on the high street.

The MP was joined by Adele Nightingale from the Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID) who works to support local businesses, improve the town centre and boost footfall.

Mrs Morgan said high street businesses have been "hit hard" by hikes in National Insurance contributions and reductions in retail business relief rates.

The Liberal Democrat MP said one business reported a 120 per cent increase in their costs.

Mrs Morgan is calling for an overhaul of the business rates system and for it to be replaced with a 'Commercial Landowner Levy'. Through this, she said only the land value of commercial sites would be taxed, not productive investment, which she says would "reduce the burden" on retailers.

Mrs Morgan added that removing buildings, utilities and other physical capital from taxation would "boost business investment" and increase productivity and wages.

Speaking after her visit to high street businesses in Oswestry, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said: "The Government could, and should, do much more to help our high streets - and reforming the broken business rates system would be a good place to start.

"We have lots of fantastic small businesses in North Shropshire but, after years of Conservative economic mismanagement, they’ve now been whacked by hikes to business rates and National Insurance contributions.

"It’s an extremely difficult environment to succeed in so I will continue to do everything possible to force the Government to see sense and support our local high streets and businesses."