<p>Exclusive: British Chambers of Commerce president tells PM to ‘level the playing field’ for struggling high streets</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/oct/22/middleton-revival-mill-towns-steve-coogan-manchester">How Middleton’s revival could be grist to the mill for Britain’s struggling towns</a></p><p></p><p>Andy Burnham has been urged by one of his most senior former advisers to tax internet sales at a higher rate than those in physical shops to help “level the playing field” for struggling high streets.</p><p>As the prime minister and his chancellor, John Healey, prepare for their first budget next week, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/andy-haldane">Andy Haldane</a> joined calls for them to take action to stop the shutters coming down on growing numbers of shops across the UK.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/22/save-high-street-tax-online-sales-burnham-urged">Continue reading...</a>
World
Save high street by taxing online sales at higher rate, Burnham urged
<p>Exclusive: British Chambers of Commerce president tells PM to ‘level the playing field’ for struggling high streets</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/oct/22/middleton-revival-mill-towns-steve-coogan-manchester">How Middleton’s revival could be grist to the mill for Britain’s struggling towns</a></p><p></p><p>Andy Burnham has been urged by one of his most senior former advisers to tax internet sales at a higher rate than those in physical shops to help “level the playing field” for struggling high streets.</p><p>As the prime minister and his chancellor, John Healey, prepare for their first budget next week, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/andy-haldane">Andy Haldane</a> joined calls for them to take action to stop the shutters coming down on growing numbers of shops across the UK.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/22/save-high-street-tax-online-sales-burnham-urged">Continue reading...</a>