By Andrew Goodacre

Is economic growth like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? It's a fair question.

Growth in the last quarter stood at just 0.3%, hardly something to celebrate. Yet the real concern isn't whether growth is possible, it's whether our high streets will survive long enough to benefit from it.

The anxiety amongst independent retailers is palpable. With the budget set for 26th November and hints of tax rises on the horizon, both businesses and consumers are paralysed by uncertainty. Nobody knows where these increases will fall, so everyone fears the worst. The result? Inaction at precisely the time when retailers need confidence and momentum.

The timing could scarcely be worse. This budget falls squarely in the middle of the golden quarter for retail, the crucial build-up to Christmas. It leaves us with weeks of anxiety during the most important trading period of the year. All we're hearing is that bad news is........

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