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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Graham Hiscott

High Street guru Mary Portas warns HALF of UK shops face axe as she blasts Tories

High street guru Mary Portas warned half of shops could close, as she blasted the Tories’ lack of help.

The “Queen of Shops”, a former adviser for David Cameron, said: “I’ve not seen it in the agenda.”

Ms Portas, 62, also called for next week’s Budget to extend the six-month energy price guarantee which caps unit costs.

“This is a big as Covid and we really need help,” she told the Mirror.

Ms Portas spoke out as a survey of independent shops by wholesaler marketplace Ankorstore was released.

The guru has warned shops may close forever (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

It found more than half want a VAT or business rate cut.

Asked what could happen without help, and with a possible long recession looming, Ms Portas warned: “We could lose half of all shops.”

It came as Marks & Spencer warned of a “gathering storm” as it revealed a more than £60million slump in half-year profits.

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