Luke Fletcher AS/MS Aelod o'r Senedd / Member of the Senedd

"We should be giving our small businesses every chance to thrive," writes Luke Fletcher MS.

This column was originally published in the Glamorgan Gazette on Thursday 27th March 2025.

At Plaid Cymru’s Spring Conference in Llandudno this weekend, I proudly unveiled our party’s ambitious plan to cut taxes for small businesses in Wales.

Our high streets are in crisis – too many independent shops, pubs, cafés, and restaurants are struggling under the weight of sky-high business rates and a lack of targeted support.

There are countless businesses across Wales that are not reaching their full potential because of a business rates system that favours large corporations over local enterprises. The result? Shuttered shopfronts and town centres in decline.

In Bridgend alone, plenty of small coffee shops and bakeries pay the same business rates as multinational competitors. We should be giving our small businesses every chance to thrive, creating local jobs with good wages, reinvesting in their growth, and strengthening the communities they’re rooted in – not just struggling to stay afloat.

Plaid Cymru has a solution. We are committed to changing how Wales taxes businesses. By using the business rate multiplier, we can reduce rates for independent businesses in retail, leisure, and hospitality. This approach is not only fair but also cost-neutral. Businesses that can afford to pay more will contribute accordingly, ensuring that small, local enterprises are given the breathing space they need to get on their feet and become successful.

I also announced the upcoming launch of ‘Making Wales Work: Plaid Cymru’s new economic plan.’ This vision extends from our seabed to our high streets, ensuring that capital remains in our communities rather than flowing out of Wales. Our plan will sustain and grow Welsh-owned businesses, create good jobs, revive town centres, and improve living standards.

After more than 25 years of Labour failing to address these issues, it is time for real change. The challenges facing Welsh businesses are clear, but so too is the solution. Wales needs a government with real vision and fire in its belly – a Plaid Cymru government.

We can build a thriving, fairer economy that works for everyone and next year’s Senedd elections present a historic opportunity to deliver that change.

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