hugh thomas
Wales Business Correspondent

Reform UK’s pitch to Welsh businesses is built around promises to cut costs and wipe out years of alleged overregulation.

A fundamental review of business tax rates coincides with frequent calls for a review of the taxes faced by businesses in Wales, and it is not unusual for reforms to bring about promising changes.

Planning is another area often cited as a barrier to economic growth in Wales.

While reformers promise to speed up the pace of planning decisions, there are many cynical voices in the real estate development industry who have experienced previous attempts to streamline the system.

Procurement policies that encourage spending with local businesses may be a no-brainer on paper, but may be more difficult to enact without restricting choice and competition.

And while the abolition of the tourist tax is being framed by them as a boost to Wales’ tourism economy, BBC Wales has found that Cardiff is the only local authority actively working to introduce a tax on accommodation, with city officials claiming they have industry support for the move.