Spring Statement: Harrogate MP's warning on impact of tax rises on town's high street
Harrogate’s MP has called on the Chancellor to withdraw measures which he warns pose a threat to family businesses such as Bettys & Taylors and to deliver a Spring Statement that will “save Harrogate and Knaresborough’s high streets”.
On the eve of Rachel Reeves’ update to Parliament on her plans for the UK economy and an economic forecast for the year ahead, Harrogate and Knaresborough Lib Dem MP Tom Gordon said businesses in the town were worried about plans to increase employers national insurance.
Mr Gordon said: “Countless businesses here in Harrogate and Knaresborough have already told me about the dread they feel ahead of the jobs tax coming into force.
“Much-loved businesses that provide great services for our communities now risk going to the wall if they are hammered again following years of Conservative economic vandalism.”
As well as opening the Lib Dems Spring Conference at Harrogate Convention Centre at the weekend, Harrogate’s MP also met again met with iconic Harrogate business, Bettys & Taylors, alongside Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, who is also the party’s Treasury spokesperson.
At the meeting, they discussed Betty’s concerns, including around the changes to Employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the withdrawal of Business Property Relief (BPR), both new policies introduced by the Labour Government.
Mr Gordon and the Liberal Democrats want to see these new policies dropped so that businesses have the chance to thrive.
“The Lib Dems and I know that family businesses play a crucial role in job creation and economic growth,” said the Harrogate MP.
"The Government must do all it can to support them, rather than making things harder, as they will do with the threatened employer NICs rise from April and ending of Business Property Relief.
"Bettys & Taylors plays an important role in our community, employing over a thousand people across Yorkshire and attracting many visitors to Harrogate, boosting our local economy."
Facing a tougher economic landscape than expected, The Government has promised business they will benefit from permanently lower business rates multipliers from 2026-27 on properties with a Ratable Value (RV) under £500,000. .