Gideon puts local business struggles at heart of Spring Statement

A huge hike in business rates for a Taunton garden centre was highlighted in Parliament on Tuesday.

Local MP Gideon Amos was speaking in reply to the Spring Statement by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

He said: “Monkton Elm Garden Centre, with its 400-cover restaurant employing 120 staff, has been hit by a £70,000 increase in its business rates this year as part of £178,000 in costs put on by the last Budget.

“If the Government will not accept the 5% cut in VAT that the Liberal Democrats propose — we would fund that by a tax on banks, by the way, not from cutting services— those at the garden centre would like to know whether the Chancellor will nonetheless extend the 15% discount to pubs on their business rates to restaurants?

“That would give our local businesses the support they need and give everyone the boost they need to see in our local economy.”

The Chancellor responded that the government was "conducting a review of how the Valuation Office Agency calculates business rates, including for our hospitality sector".

She went on to question the Liberal Democrats' proposal to cut VAT for retail, hospitality and leisure, stating that the coalition government had increased VAT 15 years previously. 

Gideon said afterwards: "Aside from the political banter, I'm pleased to have brought the Chancellor's attention to a really important issue for businesses in Taunton and Wellington.

"We now need to ensure the government really does come forward with more help for businesses like Monkton Elm."