Small businesses across Britain are struggling – not because of tax tweaks, parking shortages, or the latest government, but because of a system that has been hollowing out the real economy for decades. This piece traces how corporate capture, financialisation, and the erosion of community have reshaped the UK’s high streets and livelihoods. From the moment the system was exposed in March 2020 to the present day, it reveals why governments face the markets, not the people – and why the crisis we see now is far older, deeper, and more entrenched than most realise.