Labour highlights most at risk high streets in England

The Labour Party has identified the 20 places in England most at risk of ‘hollowed out’ high streets in the wake of the pandemic, because of their high number of hospitality and retail businesses.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, said that while the UK was facing a national economic crisis it was clear that if many high street businesses went bust ‘the impact will be felt much more deeply by communities in certain parts of the country’.

Many of the places pinpointed are seaside towns and tourist hot spots packed with restaurants, hotels and salons, which have had to close for long periods to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Across England, just over one in 10 of all businesses are either hospitality, tourism, leisure or non-essential retail businesses, like book shops, travel agencies and hairdressers.

That figure his much higher in the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, Torbay and the Isle of Wight, as well as Blackpool, Brighton and North Somerset.

More than 160 hospitality leaders recently called on the Chancellor to offer a package of financial support for the sector in next month’s budget.

Miliband said: “It’s striking that before Covid these places, from Cornwall to Cumbria, were bustling with tourism and trade. Standing by and letting these businesses collapse with the vaccine rollout making huge progress and recovery in sight would be absolutely devastating for business owners and employees who have done the right thing by shutting to help tackle the virus.”