It was Small Business Saturday last weekend, a chance to shine a spotlight on our independent and small firms. Here, Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney recounts her shopping trip and the five demands she's placed on government to boost the high street.

I enjoyed visiting a number of high street businesses in Richmond Park last Friday and over the weekend.

I felt it was important to get out and support them while doing my Christmas shopping.

Our local independent retailers need our support more than ever this year, and I can attest that that have some amazing goods to offer us.

I popped into Rosie and Java, Open Book and Nordic Outdoor, strolling through Richmond.

Later I visited Level Crossing Records and Pandemonium in East Sheen, where I got some great advice about gifts for the children in my family.

Supporting high street businesses

I am deeply concerned about the fate of our high street businesses, especially following the collapse of Arcadia last week.

The government must act urgently to support them or our high streets will lose the vitality we have always treasured.

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I wrote to Alok Sharma (the Business Secretary) this week with a list of five actions I am calling on the government to take to support these businesses.

I am asking the government to:

1. extend the business rates holiday for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses at least until June of 2021
2. upon the re-introduction of business rates, provide 50% relief in the above sectors
3. commit to a wholesale re-think of business rates, aiming to reduce the burden on high street businesses
4. bring down barriers to entry into the retail market through innovative solutions such as turnover-based rents and flexible leases
5. reverse the decision to end tax-free shopping for overseas tourists on January 1st

I will keep pushing the government to do more to support small and medium-sized businesses.

We cannot leave our high streets and our local economies to be casualties of Covid-19 and Brexit. You can see the full text of my letter here.

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