Reform UK says a simple 10-point plan can breathe new life into Britain’s ailing high streets and make them great again.
The urgency to act comes as dozens of big-name retailers, banks and building societies continue to desert towns and cities while increasing crime and filth, making them no-go zones for frightened families.
High streets have battled an explosion in online shopping, a rise in purpose-built out-of-town retail parks and malls, inflationary pressures, and sky-high rents and rates.
MP Rupert Lowe wants immediate action – starting with the end of decades of inertia from lax councils and politicians who do not care – to make them thriving centres, not barren wastelands.
Unveiling a strategy for success, he said: “Introduce time-limited free parking zones and abolish extortionate fees that drive customers to out-of-town retail parks. This will easily pay for itself. We need footfall.
“That means cleaning up the streets too. More bins, more street cleaners, more effort – we should take some pride in our towns.
“Make our high streets feel safe again, particularly for women, with a massively increased police presence.”
Mr Lowe added: “Shift tax to online giants and abolish business rates for high street based small businesses. Lift the minimum profit threshold for corporation tax and give entrepreneurs the breathing space they need in the first few years to get their operations off the ground.
“This will cost. But empty shops pay no tax and employ no people. Unless we change course, there will be nothing left to tax.
“Reduce planning bureaucracy and simplify licensing laws to encourage entrepreneurs, cutting time-consuming paperwork and bureaucracy.
“And here’s a big one – get councils and HMRC to pick up the phone. They work for us and it should be possible to reach these people without moving mountains.
“Our high streets should be thriving hubs for local people, not some barren wasteland.”
Alarming analysis shows more than 6,000 bank and building society branches have closed since 2015, or are due to close by the end of this year. Only around 5,000 high street banks remain operational.
The rate—equal to 54 a month—is set to accelerate this year as lenders continue to pull out at a time of record profits and as local councils ramp up taxes and charges, angering and alienating millions.
Business titan Sir John Timpson, 81, chairman and owner of Timpson Group, said: “Our duty is to protect town centres and keep them up to date.
“One of the great advantages a high street can have is the ability to provide people with face-to-face services. If you go to a lot of really good retailers you can still see people and a lot of the reason people will continue to go to high streets is for the social interaction, as well as the actual purchase of goods and services.”
Politician and businessman Mr Lowe, 67, who represents Great Yarmouth, added: “Filthy town centres, boarded up shops, rife anti-social behaviour – the decline of the British high street is incredibly depressing. But the decay is not inevitable.
“I’m old enough to remember when our towns were busy, prosperous and clean.
“Let’s be honest – the current state of our high streets is not acceptable. Politicians just don’t seem to care.”
The rallying cry comes as a new poll revealed one in five who voted Conservative at the General Election in July would now vote for Reform UK, the political party led by Brexit warrior Nigel Farage.
The recent YouGov poll audit puts Reform UK on 25%, with Labour in second on 24% and the Tories on 21%.
