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Do This and You’ll Fix the Economy

2026-07-22

Do this and you’ll fix the economy. An open letter to Andy Burnham: be brave on growth, clear COVID debt, cut hospitality VAT to 7%, abolish business rates — and stop making “help” available only once a business is already in trouble.

Dear Andy, Congratulations on becoming Prime Minister. It’s one of the hardest jobs in the world. Whatever anyone’s politics, I genuinely wish you every success — because if you succeed, Britain succeeds. Be brave. Really brave. Put growth first — not another announcement, not another consultation, not another polite press release. Real growth. The kind that comes from businesses investing again. It’s lovely that you want to fix rough sleeping. It matters. And it’s lovely that you want to save people £45 off their energy bills in October. People will feel that. But what are you doing for business? People don’t just need a little more cash in their pocket. They need a country where going out again feels possible — and where the businesses that make that happen can grow. Happier people go out. They celebrate. They book tables. They take the kids somewhere. They spend money in pubs, cafés, hotels, escape rooms, attractions — the places that employ their neighbours and light up our town centres. That doesn’t start with another round of small reliefs alone. It starts with taking the brakes off the businesses that create those moments. Do these three things — and I believe you’ll fix the…

Topics: Business adviceReflectionEscape rooms

Matthew Eaves — escape room franchise founder, operator, and writer. Also: franchise, posts, contact.