Independent retailers across the UK are cautiously welcoming Andy Burnham’s pledge to reform business rates, saying the plans could help revive struggling high streets — but only if promises are followed by delivery, not just political messaging.
The comments come from the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), which represents thousands of small shops and local businesses.
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The organisation says reform is urgently needed as many independents face rising costs and continued pressure from larger online competitors.
As Bira puts it, independent shops are “backbone of our high streets”, but are “fighting for a level playing field within the retail sector” . That sense of imbalance sits at the centre of the response to Burnham’s proposals.
Retailers welcome direction of travel
Burnham has set out plans to reshape business rates, including major changes aimed at easing the burden on high streets and smaller retailers. The idea has struck a chord with independent shop owners who have long argued the system is outdated.
Bira has welcomed the direction of the policy, but made clear that trust will depend on execution. As the organisation warns, retailers want to see “action, not just promises” from policymakers responding to the reform agenda .
For many in the sector, the sentiment is simple: reform is welcome, but the detail will determine whether it makes any real difference on the ground.
“A poor decision based on politics”
While Burnham’s approach has been broadly welcomed, retailer groups have also highlighted frustration with past reforms that they say have failed to deliver meaningful change.
In earlier criticism of uneven support across the sector, Bira has said decisions on rates relief have sometimes been “a poor decision based on politics rather than what is good to the local economy” .
That concern carries into the current debate: independents want assurances that any new system will treat all parts of the high street fairly, not favour selected sectors.
Pressure on the high street
The stakes for retailers are high. Many independent shops continue to report rising operating costs, squeezed margins, and pressure from online competition.
Bira has previously argued that the system still results in “substantial increases at a time when [retailers are] already squeezed by rising wage costs and unfair competition from overseas sellers” .
Against that backdrop, Burnham’s reform pledge is seen less as a political announcement and more as a potential structural shift that could shape the future viability of local retail.
Reform welcomed — but delivery is key
Despite the caution, the overall tone from independent retailers is supportive. Burnham’s focus on high street renewal and business rates reform is being read as a positive signal for the sector.
At the same time, the message from retailers is consistent: the problem is not ideas, but implementation.
As one retail group summary of the wider debate puts it, industry leaders are calling for change — but they “urge delivery over rhetoric” in order to make a tangible difference to struggling shops .
What happens next
For independent retailers, the next phase will be critical. Any reform package will be judged not by its announcement, but by whether it reduces costs, improves competitiveness, and helps rebuild footfall on the high street.
For now, Burnham has secured a cautious vote of confidence from the retail sector — but it comes with a clear warning: policy ambition must translate into real-world results for shop owners already under pressure.
