Retail bosses warn over business costs ahead of Budget

Jason Tarry, chairman of John Lewis and Waitrose, has warned that higher costs for department stores and supermarkets would harm high streets. In a Daily Telegraph article described by the BBC on 10 October 2026, he argued that putting more costs on large stores would reveal a misunderstanding of how modern high streets work. [1]

Marks & Spencer boss Stuart Machin also pressed for a change of course ahead of the Budget. Writing in the Daily Mail, he urged the chancellor to reverse what he called mistakes in the previous two Budgets and ease costs for businesses, according to the BBC. [1]

The BBC said the Telegraph had also reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham signalled his government could increase a tax on warehouses to help fund tax cuts for businesses such as pubs and restaurants. [1]