Labour unveils plan to save England's high streets

Labour is launching a "five-point plan" to save England's struggling town centres, including tax cuts and council powers to take over empty shops.

Leader Sir Keir Starmer will set out what his party would do if it wins power on a local election campaign visit to Great Yarmouth.

He claims businesses have been "held back by 13 years of Tory economic failure".

But the Conservatives say his promises are "uncosted".

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said the government had "a £13bn package in place now to support firms with the cost of business rates as we push on with our mission to halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt to help businesses right across the UK".

Sir Keir's visit to the coastal Norfolk town, along with his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, comes three weeks before the local elections, due to be held on 4 May.

Labour are using the trip to unveil its five-point plan aimed at bolstering local high streets.

In recent years, high street shops have faced increased competition from out of town shopping centres and online shopping services, as well as rising bills and the coronavirus pandemic.

According to BBC analysis, there were 9,300 fewer retail outlets in March 2022 than March 2020 as consumers switched to online stores.

The number of tattoo studios, cafes, takeaways and beauty services have increased, while department stores, banks and clothes shops have declined.

To support local high streets, Labour says it would:

Sir Keir said: "Britain's businesses already give so much to our economy, and hold a huge amount of potential and promise just waiting to be unlocked.

"But they're being held back by 13 years of Tory economic failure. The Tories crashed the economy, and business and working people are still paying the price on higher interest rates."

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman for business, Sarah Olney, said: "High streets are the lifeblood of local communities, yet this Conservative government doesn't seem to care.

"Liberal Democrats would abolish the broken business rate system and replace it with the fairer Commercial Landowner Levy." The levy, proposed by the party, would shift the burden of tax from tenants to the landowners of commercial sites.

Ms Olney said her party's plan would "give a much needed boost to struggling high streets across the country, by cutting taxes for retailers in most areas".