Overview
- Barbers and salons have begun posting notices barring Labour politicians, expanding a protest first reported among pub landlords.
- The Budget delivered a 5p cut to the business rates multiplier after small firms campaigned for a 20p reduction, with funding drawn from higher taxes on larger properties.
- Salon owners report that reassessed rateable values could cancel the benefit, with Nottinghamshire owner Collette Osborne expecting her annual bill to rise by more than £10,000.
- The Salon Employers' Association says members feel let down after expecting stronger support for high-street businesses.
- Labour points to a £4.3 billion support package for high-street firms, as a former salon owner told GB News that some in the sector have reported severe distress over the changes.