Wyre Forest Labour reacted angrily yesterday as Ministers rejected Labour’s demand in Parliament for a full business rates review.

Wyre Forest Labour believes local businesses are already under enough strain because of rising inflation, the rising cost of raw materials post Brexit, and High Street shops facing mounting pressure from online competition which is free from the overheads of our more traditional retailers.

With even The Federation Of Small Businesses crying foul as it says 500,000 businesses could see up to a 300% rates rise: Why has the Government chosen now to hike business rates for 60% of businesses and claim any criticism from its own MP’s is just “distortion and half truths”?

Stephen Brown of Wyre Forest Labour said “Whilst the Government is increasingly reacting in a hostile fashion to any criticism or expose of its failings in a Trumpesque manner, unfortunately  today it went one step further by sticking two fingers up to hard pressed businesses. By rejecting a Labour demand for a proper review of business rates in the Local Government Finance Bill it demonstrated contempt for small businesses in our local towns”.

Stephen Brown went on to say “we should be supporting our local businesses and not making things harder for them. Labour wants to see a fairer system for business rates so small business can compete with the big multi-nationals and put them in a strong position post-Brexit to be able to compete on the world stage. The Tories talk about business being strangled by EU red tape but it seems they instead want to strangle them with more financial burdens. With the local Tory council killing our High Streets with parking charges too, it seems no Tory will be content until we have no businesses left on the High Streets of Wyre Forest. It’s all totally wrong and our local businesses which support our local economy deserves better”.