Pullman, O'Farrell and 234 booksellers urge Burnham to extend business rates relief to bookshops
More than 200 independent bookshops and a roster of bestselling authors are pressing the prime minister to give bookshops the same business rates cut he announced for pubs, clubs and live music venues.
The open letter, sent on 13 August and organised by the Booksellers Association, was signed by 234 independent booksellers and addressed to Andy Burnham and the chancellor. It calls for bookshops to receive the same business rates consideration as other businesses deemed to benefit their communities — a category that, under the government's current plans, does not include them (The Bookseller; The Guardian).
Business rates are a property tax on commercial premises in the UK, charged according to the rental value of the building a shop occupies. On 23 July 2026, Burnham announced a 20% reduction in those bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues from April 2027, expected to save a typical pub around £1,100 a year (gov.uk). He called the cut "the first step on the ladder" and said it works out at around £3 to £5 a day for many businesses (Instagram).
Bookshops were left out. The letter described the sector as "deeply disappointed" and argued that extending relief to bookshops would provide a meaningful legacy for the National Year of Reading (The Guardian).
Maggie O'Farrell, author of Hamnet, called independent bookshops "the beating hearts of our high streets and communities" and said they need all the support available. Katherine Rundell warned that losing bookshops from high streets would "chip away at our culture, and at our ability to access fresh thought and new ideas." More than a dozen authors told the Booksellers Association they back the letter, including Philip Pullman, Elif Shafak, children's laureate Patrice Lawrence, Adam Kay, Lemn Sissay, Anthony Horowitz, Patrick Ness, Donna Ashworth and Rachel Joyce (The Guardian).
The Treasury, for its part, argued that bookshops already receive support through permanently lower business rates multipliers — the figure a property's rental value is multiplied by to calculate the bill — and a £4.3bn package intended to limit increases in bills (The Guardian).
The numbers the booksellers are pointing to are stark. Analysis commissioned from consultancy Cebr found that independent bookshops in England not eligible for full small business rates relief face an average annual increase of £4,563 by 2029–30, with some bills expected to double when transitional relief ends. Cebr estimated that business rates receipts across the sector are projected to rise by 45% nominally, and that the average independent bookshop would need to sell an extra 1,141 books a year just to cover the additional cost. Separate Booksellers Association research found that 85% of independent booksellers say they are less likely to invest in stock, staffing or events because of the rates burden (The Guardian).
The backdrop is fragile. The number of independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland dipped slightly in 2024, from 1,063 to 1,052, according to Booksellers Association research (Booksellers Association). Burnham has separately announced plans to tackle the spread of vape shops, betting shops and "rogue operators" on high streets, giving local authorities the power to reject new betting shops and adult gaming centres (The Guardian).
The campaign has been building on social media too. The Booksellers Association posted on its Instagram account on 30 July calling for meaningful business rates reform for bookshops (Instagram).
For now, the letter sits with the prime minister and the chancellor. No response has been announced.
