Submitted by Greg Barden on Wednesday 11th March 2026
Published on Friday 10th April 2026
Current status: Open
Open until: Saturday 10th October 2026
Current Signatures: 19
(count is updated approximately hourly)
Relevant Departments
Tagged with
business rates ~ Busy ~ Create ~ Giants ~ Government MUST ~ hospitality ~ Identity ~ independence ~ Jobs ~ Law ~ leisure ~ market ~ place ~ Qualifying ~ Ratings ~ Reduced ~ Reform ~ Replace ~ retail ~ Shared ~ Spaces
Create a legal classification to protect independent businesses in law
Independent businesses cannot compete in a market transformed by online giants, yet policy burdens them as if nothing has changed. They don't just create jobs; they provide social cohesion, community identity and shared spaces no algorithm can replace. The Government must recognise this and act.
1. Create a protected legal classification for independent, place-based businesses so policy can differentiate them from chains and online operators. 2. Immediately reduce and reform business rates for independents to reflect the reality of a market fundamentally changed by online retail. 3. Introduce a reduced VAT rate of 10% for qualifying independent hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.
If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.
216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:23:07 +0100
