Episode #7
Message to the New PM
Message to the New PM Andy Burnham has been Prime Minister for a matter of days, and he's already announced a 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs and live music venues. In this episode of High Street Matters, Bira asks what that means for the rest of the high street, and sets out exactly what independent retailers need from the new government. Host Jeff Moody is joined by Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, Surinder Josan, past president of Bira and owner of All Seasons DIY in Smethwick, and John Jones, current president of Bira and managing partner of Philip Morris and Son in Hereford. Together they look back at a tough few years for independent retail, react to the new PM's early policy moves, and lay out a funded proposal that could raise £6.5 billion for the Treasury by closing the low value import loophole and tackling online VAT fraud, more than enough to pay for wider business rates relief. With the autumn Budget on the horizon, this episode is a clear message to Number 10: independent retailers deserve the same level of support as the businesses making headlines. To contact Bira about the content of this podcast episode, please email policy@bira.co.uk . Subscribe now so you don't miss future episodes tackling themes like accessibility, retail crime, and many more high street matters! Hear something you want to follow up on? Listener enquiries can be sent to info@bira.co.uk . For more on Bira's mission supporting Britain's independent retailers, visit www.bira.co.uk . To see the full High Street Matters series visit our podcast resource page .
