THE Tory government’s “levelling-up” plan for high streets falls far short of what is needed, shopworkers’ union Usdaw said today.

Unveiled by the Prime Minister on Thursday, the plan failed to deliver urgent measures that were needed even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the union said.

Its caution came as a report by former Wickes and Iceland boss Bill Grimsey revealed that independent retailers’ debt mountain had grown fourfold in the last year.