Labour aims to woo retailers and research how to help the high street with a tour of Britain’s town centres led by Bill Grimsey.

Labour aims to woo retailers and research how to help the high street

Why are we talking about it now?

The Labour party has stirred up the business rates and high street debate after revealing plans last week to tour town centres to understand the challenges facing struggling high streets. Former Focus boss and high street champion Bill Grimsey has been appointed to lead the tour.

What role will Grimsey play?

Grimsey - who last year penned the Grimsey Review, examining the state of the high street - will meet local retailers in every region of the country and spread the message about Labour’s plans to tackle business rates if they come into power at the next election in 2015.

He will sit on a Labour advisory group made up of retail consultant Jane Bevis, chief executive of the Camden Town Business Improvement District (BID) Simon Pitkeathley, BID expert Jamie Licko and Jamie Mitchell, former managing director of Innocent Drinks and now chief executive of organic farm Daylesford.

What are Labour’s plans to tackle business rates and boost high streets?

The advisory group will provide research for the Labour shadow business and communities and local government teams on how to support high streets that are being hit by the growth of online retail, among other factors.

It aims to pinpoint successful initiatives from recovering high streets that could be used elsewhere. It will focus on how the number of BIDs, an initiative set up by the former Labour government, can be increased.

Labour has also recognised that increasing business rates have made it difficult for retailers and high streets to trade. Last year the party revealed that if it gets into power in 2015 it will cut business rates for small firms back to 2014 levels and freeze them until 2016. Labour will fund the freeze by scrapping a planned cut to corporation tax. The idea has been criticised by business minister Michael Fallon who said the plan would “rob Peter to pay Paul”.

How different is Labour’s stance to the coalition Government’s?

Labour’s initiatives are fairly similar to what the Government has already done. In 2011 the Government published retail expert Mary Portas’ review of the high street. Since then it has awarded funding to Portas Pilot towns to pilot recommendations made in the report.

It has set up a Future High Street Forum to continue the work started by the Portas review.

In addition, the Government revealed in last year’s Autumn Statement that it would cap business rates increases at 2%.