Small businesses want to hire. Young people want to work. So why does Rachel Reeves make it so hard?

By Sanjay Aggarwal

Every year, Budget Week rolls around with the same ritual: forecasts, briefings, leaks, speculation.

And yet for many of us running small businesses - and for the young people we employ - it never really feels like it’s for us.

We’re told the Budget will drive growth, increase productivity, and help the economy “level up”. But when you’re running a small business in a city like Liverpool, the reality on the ground often doesn’t match the rhetoric.

At Spice Kitchen, we’re a Living Wage employer. We’ve always believed in paying people fairly - especially the younger team members who are trying to build a life against the backdrop of rising........

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