Is your local salon facing an uncertain future? Parliament's recent debate exposed a critical situation for the UK's hair and beauty industry. Soaring costs and unfair tax policies are squeezing these vital community hubs, threatening jobs and apprenticeships. Understand the challenges and why it matters to your high street.

This episode examines the parliamentary discussions revealing the immense financial pressures crippling UK hair and beauty businesses.

You'll learn about the unfair VAT system penalizing employment, the alarming forecasts for job losses (potentially 93% by 2030), and the risk to future skills due to the apprenticeship crisis (possible zero new starts by 2027).

We also explore the broader impact on local economies and the potential loss of essential community spaces.

Finally, we cover the proposed solutions, including VAT reform and business rates relief, and what the government's initial response has been.

Source: Hair and Beauty Sector: Government Policy
Volume 765: debated on Wednesday 23 April 2025

Support the show

Follow and subscribe to 'The Bench Report' on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes on weekdays: thebenchreport.co.uk

Extended shownotes for selected episodes can be found at: thebenchreport.substack.com

Shape our next episode! Get in touch with an issue important to you - Producer Tom will grab another coffee and start the research!

Email us: thebenchreportuk@gmail.com

Follow us on YouTube, X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram @BenchReportUK

Support us for bonus episodes and more.

No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.