Our local councils were given pots of funding to back businesses through grant schemes. But the Government wants councils to send back what they haven't spent - £5.2m in Rotherham and £1.6m in Barnsley.

I want councils to be able to keep this money and put it into a Hospitality and High Streets Fightback Fund - to support our high streets, save jobs and help more than 1,000 businesses who have missed out so far because of rigid rules.

Our local businesses are still struggling. Now is the time for the Government to let us help them, not take the money back to London.

This proposal is supported by both Rotherham and Barnsley councils and the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce. 

[Note: the photo was taken in High Street Chippy in Wath pre-Covid].