King added: “The second lockdown will be catastrophic for the High Street and wider economy and Government must act to provide the emergency support needed to enable retailers to survive.”
Scott Parsons, regional MD UK & Italy at shopping centres owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “Whilst we respect the need to do what’s right to protect the health and safety of our visitors, retailers and employees, clearly the closure of non-essential retail will have a serious impact on our retailers during what should be the biggest sales period of the year. In addition, many are also facing the prospect of the impact of the removal of tax free shopping.”
Westfield’s London centres will stay open to support ‘non-essential’ retailers. Parsons said: “At a very tough time for the industry, we would very much welcome certainty from Government that non essential retail will be able to open from December 2. We are confident that measures we have had in place since June will ensure our centres are safe places to shop.”
Jonathan Neame, chief executive of Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame, with more than 300 pubs in London and the South-East, said that to deal with the impact of the new lockdown British pubs will need a VAT extension to 2022, business rates cancellation to 2022 and excise duty halve
He said: “There are two crises here: health and economic, the latter is far bigger, far more long lasting and far worse for long term health of the nation, and yet we are only talking about the former.”
Steve Ryan, co-founder of Dalstons 40FT Brewery, said independent London brewers also need extra support through this new lockdown.
He said: “A suspension of beer duty during this second lockdown would be a lifeline for small independent brewers and a simple way to offer direct support that has been needed since March.”
British Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said: “Sustained help must be available to employers, to the self-employed and to the many businesses and individuals that have not been able to access any of the Government’s schemes to date.”
