Conservatives Need To Deliver on Pledge for Business Rate Reform

The Chancellor will be delivering this year’s Autumn Statement from a slightly better fiscal position than a year ago. The 2022 Statement was about reassuring global markets; the challenge this year is to reassure voters that he is still interested in tax reform. He is still yet to deliver on the Conservative 2019 manifesto pledge to cut business rates for retail. A cash-capped Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief, combined with a freezing of the business rates multiplier, is frankly not good enough.