UK retailers to Chancellor: fix business rates or stall growth

Independent retailers are urging Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use the autumn statement to restore business confidence, warning that uncertainty and rising costs are weighing on the UK high street and risking a slowdown in economic growth. Fresh survey data from the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) points to weaker trading in late 2025 and subdued expectations for 2026, with business rates reform emerging as the sector’s top ask. Confidence dips ahead of the autumn statement Bira’s latest ...