Laura Farris

If you're wondering why the cost of your haircut has shot up, it's because salons are getting hammered by the jobs tax, soaring business rates and higher utility bills. To survive, many are asking staff to go down the self-employed, rent-a-chair route that brings them under the VAT threshold. That makes things even tougher for those salons still directly employing people. The hair and beauty industry lost 1 in 5 employees last year - it’s the largest loss of employment of any job type in the UK. So many young people want to start their careers in the industry. But fewer salons can afford to employ and train them. Today I brought @KemiBadenoch and some of the Shadow Cabinet ladies to Hornchurch to speak to some of the passionate people running our high street salons. We have a plan to help, from slashing employer NICs for 21-24 year-olds to taking most of the high street out of business rates. There is more to do and we are grateful to the women we spoke to this #britishbeautyweek for giving us ideas to keep these brilliant businesses at the heart of local communities.