Labour minister reveals bombshell new plan to 'save Britain's high streets'

In a world where the headlines are increasingly focussed on global markets, far away economies and international trade it is all too easy to overlook that which is much closer to home. I know it is our high streets and small businesses that are the beating heart of our economy. These are not just businesses, they are the family run shops, corner cafes and pubs which underpin our social fabric.

It's not easy running your own business. Empty shop fronts on our high streets stare back at us and over the last 14 years mountains of paperwork and confusing rules have slowly strangled our high street shops, pubs and restaurants. We've seen more than 2,000 pubs close over the past five years.

Express readers will be as alarmed at this trend as I am. That is why this government is fighting back with a plan that puts small businesses and our high streets first. We're breaking down barriers and making it easier to start and grow a business in the UK. Getting this right will unlock huge potential, not just for individual firms but for the whole economy.

We're going to cut through unnecessary red tape, making it easier to set up shop. Take licencing rules for instance - the current rules are confusing, unclear, and make it near impossible for businesses to sell drinks outside or put tables on pavements without endless form filling and applications to the council. We want Britain's high streets to thrive with a simpler new system that actually makes sense and helps local councils make fair decisions.

We will also set up new hospitality zones to bring the fun and buzz back to our towns. We will make it faster and cheaper for cafes, bars and music venues to expand in our town centres. Street fairs and festivals will no longer be buried under paperwork. Pubs will find it easier to serve customers in their beer gardens, and venues that have been part of our communities for years will be protected from petty noise complaints from new developments.

Times are changing, and we need to adapt to those changes. Fewer than a third of people drink in their local pubs, bars or restaurants. Those very pubs are crying out to expand and grow through alfresco dining and beer gardens, which is why the new plans will help make it easier to serve customers in beer gardens.

But this isn't just about cutting red tape - it's about removing the sand in the wheels that is slowing small business down. And it's about supporting the growth-drivers and job creators of our economy.

Small businesses are the backbone of Britain. They employ 60% of private sector workers and contribute £2.8trillion to our economy. Yet time after time small business leaders tell me they feel overlooked and undervalued. That ends now.

When this government came into power, we said we would listen and work with businesses to give them the tools they need to grow - and that's exactly what today's plans do.

We've listened and are taking practical steps that can make a real difference to small businesses right across the country.

Why are pubs and bars so important to local communities? I'm sure tonight, millions of us will be glued to our screens to cheer on our Lionesses in the Euro final. Many people will come to together in their local pubs, to watch together, as a community. That's precisely why it's so important to deliver on these changes, so that more generations in the future can cheer on their sports heroes and see their favourite music acts with their friends, families and neighbours.

This government's Plan for Change puts growth first, and that means backing the businesses that create jobs and serve our communities. When small businesses thrive, communities come alive - creating more jobs, busier high streets, and putting more money in workers' pockets.