85,000 retail jobs lost. Shop vacancy rates at highest level since 2015. Rather than paying lip service to retail, the government would better serve the sector by taking concerted action on astronomically high business rates, and facilitating use change for urgent re-purposing.
It's certainly a complex and concerning issue. I'd absolutely love to run my business from a nice little shop on Baker Street in Middlesbrough, but the business rates are a real hindrance for me. Hopefully it's a lucrative Christmas period for retail. Thanks for sharing 
