Spring Budget: Gloucester Road traders urge Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to slash VAT

• Watch our report from Richard Payne

Independent traders on Bristol's Gloucester Road have called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to slash business VAT in the Spring Budget tomorrow, Wednesday 6 March.

The financial health of the country will be revealed in the House of Commons tomorrow (March 6) with the government under pressure to ease the cost of living crisis.

Those who spoke to ITV News West Country on Gloucester Road, often dubbed Europe's longest independent high street, doubt the Budget's contents will stand the test of time.

Alice Coombs, manager of Hobbs House Bakery, said: "A cut in business VAT would be really helpful.

"It really helped when it was taken away during Covid and with the increase in prices of all the ingredients that go into making our products, that 20% reduction would really help.

"Gas prices are going up for us just like everyone else, too, so anything to ease costs would make a big difference."

A boost for small businesses was the overriding theme at El Colmado, a Spanish deli on Gloucester Road, as well with reduced business rates top of the agenda.

Shop assistant George Nichols said: "If there was any way to help us independents, that would be very welcome. We've seen increases in costs so anything to mitigate that would be useful."

Meanwhile, shoppers think the government might promise a lot, but deliver less in reality.

"It's not going to make up for everything they're done in 12 or 13 years," said one.

"It's either a last ditch attempt or pie in the sky," said another. "They can say what they want really. What difference will it actually make?"