Report comment

Hi Ian, Read it now! Yes, I also said it was "Willy Wonka" on the LBC radio discussion I participated on this morning (which Mr Shapps was due to be on, then suddenly was "unable" - perhaps 7:05am on Saturday is too early for him?....)
I agree with everything you say - on my most recent comment in reply to yours on my blog I've explained that I am an occupier of semi-retail premises. The rates position, and the increase planned, is madness. We're working harder than ever before, being ruthlessly efficient, and seeing almost nothing of that coming back as salary... It is utterly disheartening. My point is that I'm not just "posturing" on this point, I'm in the thick of it myself in my business, trying to come up with ever more creative ways to trade out of tough times in the face of an incessant drain on revenue at every turn!
Anyway, my reaction was "what, just £1million, surely they mean each?" It's a drop in the ocean and the lead-time to actually getting anything is ridiculous - end of March for the "submissions", then they have to decide who "wins" and then allocate funding - that's going to drag on for how long?!
As a small business owner, and one sitting on the hefty cost burden of town centre premises, I can safely say I have no confidence in anyone to sort it out. I have concluded the only way to survive is to work harder, smarter and keep coming up with innovation that people want. I have no expectations that anything will be done, and neither do the retailers I work with... Not exactly painting a rosy picture but I just don't think there is any "golden ticket".
Perhaps for the first time in my life I wish I was wrong!