Over recent months, I’ve been speaking with local businesses that are feeling the pressure of rising costs, increasing regulation and higher taxes. Many of them have told me the same story: they want to grow, hire more staff and invest in their communities — but the financial burden they’re facing is making that harder with every passing year.
A striking example is Ashwood Nurseries, Gift Shop and Tea Room in Kingswinford. This is a well-loved local business that has served our community for decades. Yet because of last year’s National Insurance hike, they’re now paying an additional £55,000.
That figure is staggering. It isn’t just a line in a spreadsheet — it’s the cost of employing another member of staff, supporting a family, or investing back into the business. For a company of their size, £55,000 is the difference between stability and uncertainty.
Sadly, their story is far from unique. Across the country, businesses in hospitality, retail and other community-focused sectors are closing their doors at an alarming rate. Since the last Budget alone, 1,100 pubs and restaurants have shut down. Each closure affects far more than just the owners. These businesses provide jobs for local people, support regional supply chains and help keep high streets alive. Their loss weakens the social and economic fabric of entire communities.
This is why the stakes are so high as we approach the Autumn Budget next week.
Businesses cannot plan, invest or grow when they are weighed down by ever-increasing costs. Tax hikes don’t just balance spreadsheets — they impact real people, real jobs and real futures. They risk pushing out exactly the sort of independent, community-minded enterprises our towns rely on.
The current path is unsustainable. Rising taxes are killing jobs, undermining ambition and hurting the very people who drive our local economies forward.
This cannot go on. It’s time for a Budget that backs business, supports growth and gives local employers the breathing space they need to thrive.That's why over the coming days, I will publish my letter to the Chancellor, delivering a simple but crucial message: no more tax rises.
