Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, Labour’s Shadow Local Government Minister, responding to the Distressed Town Centre Property Taskforce’s report, said:

“Our high streets, the lifeblood of local economies, have suffered under this Tory-led Government’s cost of living crisis.

"This report is a timely reminder of David Cameron’s failure to act to support small and medium sized businesses and the entrepreneurs that run them. Urgent action is required but Ministers seem incapable of either understanding or acting on the acute problems facing our high streets.

"Labour would cut and freeze business rates to help over a million small and medium sized businesses to thrive.”