Burnham Unveils Plan to Rescue High Street Shops
Andy Burnham has pledged to scrap business rates for high street shops and force online warehouse giants to pay their fair share, in a bid to rescue Britain's struggling small businesses. The Labour frontrunner, widely tipped to replace Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, outlined his plan in a video posted on X on July 9, 2026.
Two Key Changes Announced
Burnham promised two major changes: first, a dramatic shake-up of business rates, which he said are unfair to high street businesses. He stated, "It is not fair that high street businesses pay a huge amount of their turnover in business rates when some of the big players, the warehouse operations, don't pay their fair share." He pledged to cut business rates for pubs and lift high street businesses out of business rates altogether.
Second, he announced an overhaul of public procurement to prioritise British firms. "There is so much more we can do to support British industry and small business through our approach to public procurement," Burnham said. "Making sure that wherever possible we support British businesses and give them the backing they deserve."
High Streets Under Pressure
The intervention comes as high streets across the country face soaring costs, shuttered shopfronts, and competition from online giants. Business groups have long complained that bricks-and-mortar traders are burdened by rates while warehouse-based online operations pay less. Burnham now faces pressure to detail how the changes would be funded and whether the Treasury supports them.
This marks one of the few policy announcements Burnham has made ahead of his expected move to Downing Street, as he positions himself to take over from Sir Keir Starmer.
