Our five point plan to support small businesses
Small businesses have been hit hardest in this pandemic. Let’s make sure we support them properly.
No one can deny that small businesses have been hit hard during the pandemic.
They’ve got to get the support they need to survive, and to thrive, after the crisis is over.
We’ve got a five point plan to help small businesses get through this. Here’s our plan for how to do it…
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲
Extend the business rate holiday into 2021/22 for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with the UK government providing compensation to local authorities for loss of income.
As business rates are devolved in Wales, we also call on the Welsh Government to do the same.
𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧
The current payments offer a paltry £1,300 a month for those with a rateable value of £15,000.
For a lot of small businesses, this would not even cover rent. This isn’t good enough.
The government should increase the amount of support to those who have had to close and expand the eligibility criteria.
𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧
So many small businesses such as nurseries have stayed open throughout this crisis.
The pandemic means additional costs to keep everyone safe.
We should support them to do this with an additional discretionary grant — administered by councils, paid for by government.
𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝟏𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬
We’ve had enough of chumocracy.
Let’s grant 15% of government contracts to small and micro businesses and make it easier for small businesses to apply.
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐕𝐀𝐓 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝
Extend the current tourism VAT cut through 2021 and expand to:
Food and drink served in pubs, bars and restaurants
Theatre, music concert, museum and gallery tickets
Hotel bookings.
This should form part of a process to review our VAT system outside the EU so that it differentially supports smaller shops compared to larger and online shops.
Together, our Friends are helping to strengthen the voice of progressive green leadership in British politics.
Help us keep speaking out for small businesses.
Whoever you are, whatever matters to you, be that. And be Green too.
