SAVE HOSPITALITY

Keir Starmer doesn’t have to hike taxes on fuel. Our Cheap Power Plan would take 20% off your energy bill by scrapping Ed Miliband's Net-Zero taxes. Vote Conservative on 7 May.

Rachel Reeves now says wealthier households won’t get any help with energy bills if prices spike because of the war in Iran. Translation: we’ll keep taking your money – but when the crunch comes, you’re on your own.

@UKHospKate @AaronPascoe9 x.com/i/status/20361…

@AaronPascoe9 No, it’s not - I work in the sector, I run my own business, I do know how real the challenges are

I love all this patting eachother on the back shit. Hospitality is being destroyed. This isn’t time for smiles, particularly with those destroying our industry.

@Sacha_Lord @NickFerrariLBC @LBC Absolutely unbelievable from @peterkyle He had the nerve to tell a business owner: "There's one fundamental thing you need more than anything else - customers with money in their pockets" This whilst @RachelReevesMP is picking our pockets with massive tax hikes. Insanity.

This would lead to a £2.2 bn contraction in GDP & a loss of nearly 33,000 jobs in 2030. Business investment would fall by over £100m. While tax enthusiasts might expect to raise £1.6bn for the public sector, the net fiscal gain would only be some £900m once £688m erosion in wider tourism-related tax activity is taken into account. Sadly that won't worry the Labour lobby who have pushed for this tax. For them any additional tax revenue is the main objective.

Labour's planned visitor tax would cause considerable economic damage, new research by Oxford Economics reveals. A 5% levy would likely lead to 11.9m fewer visitor nights & £1.8bn less in tourism spending in 2030, their modelling shows 1/2

“NTIA: ‘PRICE GOUGING’ FOCUS IGNORES REAL CRISIS—SURGING ENERGY COSTS AND TAXES PUSHING BUSINESSES OVER THE EDGE” STATEMENT FROM MICHAEL KILL, CEO, NIGHT TIME INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION (NTIA) “The renewed focus on ‘price gouging’ risks missing the bigger picture entirely. This is not a new issue, it is an ongoing problem that should have been tackled years ago. Instead, it is now being brought forward at a time of heightened global instability, creating the illusion of action while the underlying cost crisis continues to intensify. Businesses and consumers are already bracing for further increases. We are facing a surging energy cost crisis driven by global tensions, with Government itself preparing for prolonged disruption. Yet there remains no clear, credible plan to protect households or businesses from what comes next. For our sector, the pressure is relentless. Business rates bills are due to rise from 1st April, operational costs continue to climb, and margins are being pushed to breaking point. The reality is that many venues are making impossible decisions simply to stay open. This is not about profiteering at the grassroots level; it is about survival. We are also seeing a clear disconnect in policy. On one hand, there is talk of cracking down on fuel profiteering and strengthening regulatory powers. On the other, there is little clarity on what meaningful support will replace previous interventions, particularly when there is no appetite for broad-based support due to public finance constraints. Businesses are left asking: where is the plan? We must also be honest about the role of taxation and systemic cost pressures. Energy levies, rising taxes and wider economic burdens are all feeding into the prices faced by businesses and consumers. While Europe is seen to have acted more decisively, with longer-term strategies and lower VAT frameworks to support businesses, the UK continues to struggle with indecision and short-termism. This lack of clarity is compounding the pressure on already vulnerable sectors. At the same time, the impact on employment is becoming critical. As costs rise, businesses are forced to cut back, often starting with entry-level and youth roles. Yet we continue to hear ambitions around growing youth employment. The reality is stark: if businesses cannot afford to operate, they cannot afford to employ. The question the industry is asking is simple, where does this end? If further price shocks are coming, as all indicators suggest, what will the Government do to prevent a deeper cost crisis? How will it protect vulnerable businesses already operating on the edge, and households already stretched to their limits? And how will it restore confidence in an economy that feels increasingly uncertain week to week? The night-time economy has shown resilience through years of disruption, but resilience has its limits. What is needed now is decisive action, a clear, joined-up strategy that tackles the root causes of rising costs and gives businesses and the public the confidence they desperately need. Without that, this crisis will not ease, it will escalate.”

UK SMEs Face Europe’s Sharpest Cost Pressures But Stand Out For Regulatory Preparedness, Research Finds catererlicensee.com/uk-smes-face-e… #Business #Hospitality #Hotels

This is embarrassing. This is the Business Minister, accusing companies of price gouging (when the majority of the price is made up of tax) but doesn’t even know the prices or able to backup his claims. With this Government it’s everyone else’s fault.

Sir Keir Starmer is in front of the Commons Liaison Committee. I tuned in for about 30 seconds but I can’t bear to watch any more. I really struggle to listen to him now. It’s almost physically painful, as my dislike and distrust are visceral.

Pub and Bar Company Closures Double as Operators Battle Rising Costs, Taxes and Changing Habits catererlicensee.com/pub-and-bar-co… #Alcohol #Bars #Breweries

@33Dovey @beerandpub @AltonSteven @UKHospKate @andyjlennox @Sacha_Lord Ok, tell me what Nicholls and the Potato have done that's useful? Vat decrease? Utilities cost support? Rates reform? Employment tax reversal? Prancing about on a stage? I'll wait.

@LBC These three amigos are doing a fantastic job of killing small businesses. Stop their anti business fiscal policies and small businesses will be ok!

Conservatives blast Ed Miliband’s ‘cult-like fanaticism’ over Net Zero as it ‘makes Britain weaker and poorer’ gbnews.com/politics/ed-mi…

Alarmingly, the Business Secretary just told @NickFerrariLBC on @LBC that there is: "No Gov't intervention that is going to enable your business to thrive." That's nonsense. Reducing VAT for the Hospitality sector would save business and jobs.

The UK night time economy supports 2+ million jobs and generates billions for the economy — yet it remains in structural decline. Across Europe, lower VAT rates for hospitality are protecting jobs and stimulating demand. The UK must act. We’re calling for a targeted VAT reduction to stabilise high streets, safeguard employment and protect long-term tax revenues. It takes less than a minute: • Click the link • Follow the steps • Email your MP (templated and customisable) Act now: buff.ly/GJaRDWM Led by NTIA in collaboration with Institute of Hospitality, Campaign for Pubs, NCASS, Hospitality Voices and The Wonky Table. Practical policy. Now we need public backing.

LETTS: Sir Keir is like foxglove...slowing pulses to perilous levels dailymail.co.uk/columnists/art…

Irish government to cut excise duty on diesel and petrol bbc.in/4d0E5VD

@33Dovey @beerandpub @AltonSteven @UKHospKate @andyjlennox @Sacha_Lord Not sure I get the grape reference, but nicely done.

Exclusive @theipaper: Keir Starmer is facing pressure from a growing number of his own MPs to overrule Ed Miliband and allow new drilling of North Sea oil and gas. One Labour MP said the latest energy shock had “woken up a lot of people”. Link in tweet below👇