Conservative Sefton Councillors Push to Scrap Business Rates for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

With yet another chaotic u-turn by the government expected in the next few days, this time on Business Rates for pubs, Conservatives on Sefton Council are calling for Labour councillors to back their proposals to scrap business rates for many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across Sefton, including many pubs. 

At next week’s council meeting, Conservative Leader on Sefton Council, Mike Prendergast, and Deputy Leader, Tony Brough, are putting forward a motion to champion our town centres and high streets, including calling for the scrapping of Business Rates entirely for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value of £110,000 or lower.

Commenting, Councillor Prendergast said, “Sefton has a huge number of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses; employing thousands of people, generating wealth and creating opportunity. Locally and nationally, Labour are doing their level best to destroy our economy. They simply don’t understand how businesses work. It’s incompetence and ignorance on an epic scale.”

“This will now be the 12th u-turn from a Labour Party that’s already hammered businesses with a jobs tax, a family business tax, salary increases, higher energy costs and higher inflation. Businesses need stability not endless tax increases, chaos and confusion.”

“Small businesses are the engine of our economy and in Southport and across Sefton; hospitality, retail and leisure make up a huge part of our business environment.”

“We want to see Sefton Council support the plans put forward by Conservatives, to completely scrap Business Rates for many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. This will allow many small businesses to invest in hiring staff, improving premises and lowering prices.”

“It would help potentially thousands of businesses across Sefton and help our high streets and town centres in Southport, Formby, Maghull, Crosby, Waterloo and Bootle.”

“At a council level, we want to make it clear that we support small businesses, they drive and grow our local economy, and want to see central government address Business Rates as part of our strategy for improving our town centres across Sefton.”

“It’s businesses that grow our economy, create jobs, wealth and opportunity, not governments and Labour would do well to remember that.”

Tony Brough, Ainsdale councillor and Deputy Leader of Sefton Conservatives, added “Sefton Council has recently published its plan for Ainsdale Gateway and talks about a lot about tourism. Yet, if Labour continues to increase taxes on small businesses, many will go bust and then where does that leave us.”

“Conservatives on Sefton Council will always support our small businesses. Those who get up at the crack of dawn, get home late, work hard all to support themselves and their families. That’s why I’ll be asking Sefton Council to support our calls to help local businesses.”