Business Rates: Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Debate between Dan Tomlinson and Bernard Jenkin

Monday 19th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dan Tomlinson]

I totally agree with my hon. Friend that we need to avoid the situation we saw for 14 years, when 7,000 pubs closed under the Conservatives, with about 4,000 closing in the first five years when the Lib Dems were in coalition with them. This Government will do all we can to support pubs, hospitality businesses and our high streets, which is why we set out a really strong set of proposals at the Budget, as he mentioned, including £4.3 billion of support.

[Sir Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) (Con)]

When is a U-turn not a U-turn? I would suggest it is when the Government realise that they have made a terrible mistake, brief that they will change the policy and then send a Minister to this House to explain that nothing is changing at all. Does the Minister realise how much despair people are feeling? This is not a problem about a transition; this is a fundamental flaw in the whole concept of business rates that hits the smallest businesses the hardest. We need our policy, which is to leave the transitional rates relief permanently in place until there is a new system that exempts smaller businesses from this punitive tax.

[Dan Tomlinson]

The Conservatives had 14 years to implement significant reforms to the business rates system. They could have changed the system with significant underlying reforms, meaning that the tax rate paid by high street businesses was lower than the tax rate paid by the largest businesses, but they did not. I do not think we can trust a word they say when it comes to reform of the business rates system. They did not take the opportunity when they had their chance. It is easy to say things, but the Government are getting on with the job of reforming and improving our business rates system.

Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief

Debate between Dan Tomlinson and Bernard Jenkin

Monday 5th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Sir Bernard Jenkin (Harwich and North Essex) (Con)]

The Minister referred to the importance of manifesto commitments. Where in the Labour manifesto did it say that there would be any tax restrictions on inheritance for farmers? In fact, when they were in opposition, did Ministers not go around promising not to impose such a tax? They then did precisely the opposite. When he talks about manifesto commitments, will he have a slightly less selective memory and avoid misconstruing the position of the NFU, which is still in favour of the abolition of the tax altogether? Tom Bradshaw is my constituent. I hope that the Minister will send him his best wishes and congratulate him on exposing the Government’s hypocrisy.

[Dan Tomlinson]

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Bradshaw last year. The NFU published statements—both at the time of the announcement and around the turn of the year—welcoming the changes that the Government have proposed. The hon. Gentleman asks about manifesto commitments. We were very clear in our manifesto that we would return economic stability to this country, putting behind us the chaos of Liz Truss and the chaos that the Conservatives left us with. Part of that is about ensuring that we do not continue to borrow at excessive levels, as they did, but bring borrowing down—[Interruption.] Borrowing is coming down in every single year of the next five years. We are ensuring that we can raise, in a fair and sustainable way, the revenue to fund our public services.