TORY failures on wages, living standards and public services have left Britain’s high streets struggling to survive, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told Usdaw’s annual conference today.

In an address to more than 1,000 delegates, officials and visitors to Blackpool, Mr Nowak received a standing ovation after warning that the “heartbeats of our communities” are being destroyed by corporate interests, calling for “wealth taxes the rich can’t dodge and a level playing field in retail as well.”

He said retail giant Amazon “paid not a single penny of corporation tax” last year, despite its £27 billion in net sales in Britain.