Independent businesses across South Yorkshire call on the new PM 'not to forget' about them
Rishi Sunak won the Conservative leadership race on Monday
Small, independent businesses across South Yorkshire are urging the new Prime Minister 'not to forget' about them going forwards.
Many are at risk of going under due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
Trudy Wray runs the Thyme for a bite café in Sheffield.
She says things are more difficult now than they were during the Covid-19 pandemic:
"I've put my prices up twice in the last few weeks, and that's only because the stock that I'm getting is going up.
"I don't want to have to put my prices up.
"For instance, cooking oil has gone up massively.
"I used to pay about £5 for five litres of that, but in some places now it's £17.
"I can't look past Christmas right now, and I think a lot of businesses are the same.
"We've just got to see if things get any better.
"Soon enough, there won't be anywhere for people to go on their lunch.
"I used to get people who'd come in for a coffee and a chat, and we do still get that, but nowhere near as much.
"The future's very bleak at the moment, but we have to hope that it'll pick back up.
"As it is at the moment, I can't see where any support for businesses-big or small-is going to come from."
After winning the Conservative leadership race yesterday-Rishi Sunak said the UK is facing a 'profound economic challenge'.