Rishi Sunak is grilled by one of his constituents during an LBC call-in who blames the Tories for crashing the economy and forcing businesses to close
- Constituent from North Yorkshire blamed policies for small business closures
- PM’s Richmond seat has seen four businesses shut up shop in the past few days
Rishi Sunak faced fury from a North Yorkshire constituent yesterday who blamed the Government for four small businesses unexpectedly closing their doors.
During a heated radio phone-in, a business owner from the Prime Minister’s Richmond seat said the Conservatives had crashed the economy and left families without proper disposable incomes.
A garden centre, hotel, gift shop and tea room in the market town had been part of the backbone of the community for many years. But in the past few days they all suddenly announced closures.
The caller told LBC the businesses cited ‘increased taxes, soaring cost, impact of Brexit, difficulty finding staff, all combined with the fact that it was your Government that crashed the economy and left people without any spare disposable income to spend’.
She asked Mr Sunak: ‘What are you going to do about the fact that your Tory policies are causing small businesses to shut up shop?’
Rishi Sunak was challenged about his policies by an angry business owner from his Richmond constituency during an LBC phone-in on Wednesday
The Prime Minister replied that when he spoke to breweries at a London beer festival ‘many of them were telling me that actually business is good, that footfall is up’.
He said Brexit was not ‘the reason some firms are struggling’ and it had ‘a lot to do with energy bills and has a lot to do with inflation’.
Mr Sunak insisted that the UK had to ‘stick to the plan’ to cut inflation even if it meant higher mortgage payments.
He was also berated for telling another caller from Surrey struggling with bills to ‘talk to your bank’ and discuss extending the term or switching to interest only.
The closure of the companies in Richmond has caused shock and concern locally.
Paul Harrison, chairman of Original Richmond Business and Tourism Association, said: ‘People are either not spending money or being far more selective in how they spend, and this has led to big reductions in revenue. There is simply not the money around.’
The Fleece Hotel recently underwent a major refurbishment, the York House gift shop has been there for more than 25 years, Ravensworth Nurseries for half a century, and the Cross View Tea Rooms had a prime location in the main square.
York House owner Christine Swift, 82, said monthly takings were ‘£10,000 down on normal’ and her electricity bill had tripled. Ravensworth Nurseries blamed the closure on lockdowns, rising bills and the cost of living crisis.
