Confidence in Sir Keir Starmer's government is slipping among the shoppers and market traders in one Lancashire city, and, despite the area being a safe Labour territory, expectations for Chancellor Rachel Reeves' first budget on Wednesday are low.
The dramatic iron canopy over Preston Market has been sheltering shoppers for nearly 150 years. Even inside the stylish indoor market, which opened six years ago, the trading history of this Lancashire city is palpable. Old posters remember the Christmas markets of 1902. 'A lot of people have been coming here for a long time,' says Derek Cheetham, owner of the market's Cherry Pie Coffee & Co. 'It is a religious thing for them to do, to go to Preston Market.
This budget looks like it is going to be financially a burden on the employers and this is going to be more pressure and we'll feel it.' By the Halloween display, a queue forms for the nearby bakery. Some people offer a brusque 'no comment' when asked about what they want from the budget. They are similarly dismissive of Labour's first months in office.
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