As a Labour supporter I think it's high time we looked at business rates and how they're affecting our local businesses. The current system is outdated and doesn't take into account the actual performance of businesses. We need a fairer system that gives small businesses and startups a chance to thrive.
I agree that a tiered system based on actual performance and local economic conditions is the way forward. But we also need to look at how we're funding our councils and make sure they have the resources they need to support local businesses. This could be done by increasing funding from central government or by giving councils more power to raise their own funds. We should also be looking at ways to reduce the burden of business rates on small businesses, such as by increasing the threshold for relief or by introducing a more progressive system of taxation.
Discussion (4)
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The thing is, a fairer system might help a bit, but it's not going to fix everything, we need to be looking at the bigger picture and getting more manufacturing jobs back in this country, that's what will really help our local economy, like when I was a lad and the steelworks were still going strong.