Small firms in Healey's Yorkshire seat warn Labour policies are stifling hiring and growth

In the run-up to the Budget, owners of small enterprises in John Healey’s South Yorkshire constituency expressed alarm that Labour’s fiscal agenda is curbing their ability to hire. Wentworth Garden Centre’s Tony Airey had to reduce staff last Christmas because of rising National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage, and he says any further wage increases would be unaffordable. The local Chamber of Commerce, led by chief executive Carrie Sudbury, called for immediate reductions in under-25 National Insurance and a targeted tax package to relieve energy and business-rate burdens.

Meanwhile, Mick Warburton of Chantry Brewery recalled Labour’s earlier small-brewer relief but warned that current tax and wage policies are placing a “block on recruitment and investment.” Both groups argue that without decisive government action, their growth prospects and profitability will be limited.