I've never hidden what I thought of the last two Budgets.
asserted
I → hide → Budgets
Britain needed a plan for growth and got a pile of new taxes and regulations instead.
asserted
Britain → need → taxes
At M&S we were left facing £150million of new costs each year, on top of a tax bill of around half a billion pounds.
asserted
we → leave → pounds
Attention is now turning to the next Budget, the first by Chancellor John Healey.
asserted
Attention → turn → Healey
I have written to him directly to set out what needs to change, and why it can't wait.
asserted
it → write → him
Last month the Prime Minister promised Britain 'hope again'.
asserted
Minister → promise → Britain
It struck a chord, and you can see why.
asserted
you → strike → chord
People want to believe things can get better.
asserted
things → want → ?
But the speech left big questions unanswered, above all what it means for business and the economy in the coming year.
asserted
it → leave → year
I was glad to hear the Chancellor reference growth 16 times in his conference speech.
asserted
Chancellor → hear → speech
He said it's 'the only long-term answer'.
asserted
it → say → ?
Now the Budget must match his words.
asserted
Budget → match → words
Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Machin says the Chancellor 'could get Britain growing by taking the handcuffs off business and putting money back in people's pockets'
uncertain
Britain → say → pockets
Stuart Machin has written to the Chancellor directly
Retail has a big part to play.
asserted
Retail → write → part
It's the engine of the everyday economy, employing more than three million people and keeping customers supplied with what they need.
asserted
they → employ → what
When the Government piles on costs, there is very little room to soak them up.
asserted
Government → pile → them
At M&S, we’re investing over £2billion in the next three years across our stores, supply chain and technology.
asserted
we → invest → stores
But every pound that goes on new taxes is a pound we can't invest.
asserted
we → go → taxes
I know money is tight.
asserted
money → know → ?
I'm not asking the Chancellor to rip up his fiscal rules.
asserted
I → ask → rules
But at the very least, he should start unravelling the mistakes of the last two Budgets.
asserted
he → start → Budgets
So here are six ways John Healey could get Britain growing by taking the handcuffs off business and putting money back in people's pockets.
uncertain
Britain → get → pockets
The first three wouldn't even cost the Treasury a penny.
asserted
three → cost → penny
First, scrap the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme – it's patently ridiculous.
asserted
it → scrap → Scheme
Next October, you'll pay 20p more for every bottle or can of drink.
asserted
you → pay → drink
To get it back, you'll have to lug bags of empties back to the shops – despite already paying your council for collections.
asserted
you → get → collections
And stores need to rip out shelves to make space for monstrous recycling machines.
asserted
stores → need → machines
Retailers are spending tens of millions just to set it up, and will pay millions more every single year to run the scheme.
asserted
Retailers → spend → scheme
Second, make sure the Employment Rights Act doesn't ban the Saturday job by treating normal weekend shifts as 'low hours' contracts.
asserted
Act → make → contracts
The Chancellor spoke recently about his first job, washing pots in a pub.
asserted
Chancellor → speak → pub
Mine was pushing trolleys at 16.
asserted
Mine → push → 16
With nearly a million young people out of work or training, don't let the small print pull up the ladder.
asserted
print → let → ladder
Stuart Machin with then-chancellor Rachel Reeves and long-serving M&S employee Allison Burnley, centre
Third, get a food and drink deal with the EU over the line.
asserted
Machin → serve → line
Cut the red tape with our nearest neighbours, so the European food we love costs less to bring in, and our brilliant British farmers can sell more abroad.
asserted
farmers → cut → more
Every month it's delayed, farmers and shoppers pay the price.
asserted
farmers → delay → price
Fourth, undo the most damaging part of the disastrous rise in National Insurance: the cut to the threshold where employers start paying.
asserted
employers → undo → threshold
It hit shops hard, because so many of our jobs are entry-level and part-time, often just a shift or two a week.
asserted
many → hit → jobs
It also hit our suppliers, particularly in farming and food manufacturing, and strict regulations meant most of those costs ended up with retailers.
asserted
most → hit → retailers
These pressures were always going to be felt at the till.
asserted
pressures → go → till
Retail makes up around 5 per cent of the economy but pays over a fifth of all business rates.
asserted
Retail → make → rates
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
