As we enter the final week before Christmas, I hope most readers will be more organised than me – and are able to avoid last minute shopping. But whether you’re completely stocked up for the Yuletide phase or still have some way to go to tick everything off the list, I’m sure you won’t mind my usual refrain… don’t forget to shop local!
Helpfully, the Town Council have produced a free Sudbury Christmas Gift Guide which you can pick up from the Town Hall. The guide lists local shops and businesses you might want to visit and when I picked up my copy, I was delighted to see that it was printed by local printers, Indigo Ross, who I had just visited moments before on the Chilton Industrial Estate. It was heartening to see that one local small business was being used to promote many others – a great example of Sudbury’s circular economy.
Since my last column, the Chancellor has delivered her Autumn Budget. There may have been lots of speculation about potential tax rises beforehand, but unfortunately the reality was even worse. We were duly delivered massive hikes in taxation to fund an even more generous welfare state. In my view, the Government’s priorities are completely out of kilter with the economic reality we face - we should be doing everything we can to get our economic mojo back, not least as this is the best way to deliver the funding our public services need. The feedback I have received from businesses has also been overwhelmingly negative, particularly the hospitality sector who were hit hard by National Insurance increases last time and hikes to business rates this time.
The Chancellor appears oblivious to the reality of our economy – rising unemployment, up to 5.1% this week, and fewer vacancies, especially for young people. That’s exactly why I hold my annual Jobs Fair, and I am genuinely worried about the way that vacancies appear to be shrinking.
This has huge knock-on effects for sectors such as hospitality which employs millions of people and contributes billions to the UK economy. Pubs are also integral to our rural communities: they provide jobs, vibrant community spaces and are part of our national heritage. Unfortunately, just as households have struggled with higher energy bills and inflation, pubs have been hit hard too. Many are still dealing with the lasting effects of the pandemic, with demand yet to return to pre-lockdown levels. For the Government to be hitting pubs with additional taxes given this backdrop seems a major Budget blunder.
We are so fortunate to have a large range of fantastic pubs in South Suffolk, but they cannot exist without our custom. That is why I’ve been out and about visiting pubs right across the constituency, from Hartest to the Shotley Peninsula, to speak to their landlords about the challenges they are facing.
Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are still those willing to take risks and back new business ventures in Sudbury and the surrounding area – like Perrywood Garden Centre, a hugely ambitious plan to transform the former Wyevale operation in Newton. I recently visited the new operation, not just to pick up the Cartlidge Christmas Tree, but to hear from the owners about how they are investing millions into the site –including a spacious restaurant and coffee shop. This has involved a near doubling of the workforce, bringing employment opportunities that are vital for Sudbury.
On another positive note, this month I announced my 2025 Community Champion. The awards recognise local volunteers who go above and beyond for their communities and this year’s winner is Andy Read from Sudbury, who has dedicated himself to saving lives by increasing the defibrillator availability across Sudbury. Andy also runs the Sudbury Sporting Memories Club which brings older people together to reduce isolation and loneliness through keeping active.
So yes, these are not the easiest times economically, but we still have plenty of super pubs, shops and businesses around, and a fantastic voluntary sector. I wish them all, and you, a very Merry Christmas.
