Westminster Hall
30 June 2026
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Westminster Hall House of Commons
00:22 - 00:27
Speaker 1
Order, order. Bradley Thomas to move the motion.
00:27 - 02:08
Speaker 3
Thank you, Ms. Vaz, and it's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. And it's a delight to see so many members here today to talk about this very important topic. So high streets, they matter. They are incredibly significant, and I think this is one of the most significant topics in society and in UK politics today because our town centers are a barometer of the vitality of all of the areas that we represent, both economically and socially, for good or for ill. And town centers are changing.
There's a perfect storm at the center of what we're discussing today. That change has been largely prompted by a change in retail habits as e-commerce set in the best part of two decades ago, and as a result, social habits have changed. We've seen in many areas a hollowing out of high streets and a different type of retail and often a different type of problem move in to those areas. And that includes low-grade retail. We've seen a decline in investment in the public realm, and all of these are significant factors in the vitality of the areas that we represent.
And the British public have some clear opinions on this. 79% of Brits are concerned about the decline of high streets and town centers. 65% believe that there are not enough shopping options, and 68% of people believe that there are too many vape shops, barber shops, charity shops, and mini-marts within their communities. And we've got to think about why footfall has declined and retail has declined. Well, we have got that effect of internet shopping that is very much a normal part of life nowadays.
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