The former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has launched an attack on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves.<\/p>\n
Rayner told entrepreneurs at a conference in Liverpool that she has spoken with many business owners and understands that the Chancellor\u2019s soaring taxes is damaging businesses and the high street and many are closing at a far more rapid pace than ever seen before.<\/p>\n
Rayner said that Reeves constant attack on businesses with higher taxes, employers\u2019 national insurance, business rates is risking \u201cconfidence\u201d in politics and amongst consumers.<\/p>\n
Rayner told the conference, \u201cOver the last few weeks, I\u2019ve spoken candidly with businesses in my own constituency, and many beyond it, and they say it\u2019s a huge challenge that they\u2019re facing, and it\u2019s a challenge just to stay afloat<\/a>.<\/p>\n Customers aren\u2019t just there in the way they used to be, as business rates remain punishingly high, energy bills<\/a> soar and costs in your supply chains and VAT bite.<\/p>\n Rayner is urging the Chancellor to produce a plan \u201cto aid recovery, to stabilise the costs, to give businesses<\/a> breathing space.<\/p>\n I believe the government should look at how to support the night economy<\/a> to thrive once again. Not ideology but pragmatically.\u201d<\/p>\n Rayner said that Reeves business rates is damaging the hospitality industry<\/a>, and she noted that governments across the European Union \u201crecognise that hospitality and nightlife required extended support \u2013 not handouts<\/p>\n Last October a major pub group is calling on the government<\/a> to stop making \u201cbad policy\u201d decisions as they are \u201csucking cash\u201d out of the pubs.<\/p>\n Jonathan Neame, the chief executive of hospitality firm<\/a> and brewer Shepherd Neame told the PA news agency there is still hope in the industry.<\/p>\n He said that hospitality sector<\/a> needs to have reduced policy action for the industry to be successful.<\/p>\n In the 2025 Autumn Budget<\/a> the Chancellor announced increases to the employer\u2019s national insurance and the national minimum wage which cost all businesses millions.<\/p>\n Neame said: \u201cIf you look at the cost rises<\/a> we\u2019ve faced, more than half of that is down to bad policy and that it is all sucking cash out of businesses like ours.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Government isn\u2019t throwing road blocks in front of pubs, we will grow and invest<\/a>.<\/p>\n