The Budget was a disaster for Hospitality. I hoped the Government would finally listen and deliver. I’m sad to admit I was wrong. Rates relief means little when employment and operating costs keep rising. What matters is the total bill landing on the doormat, and whether there’s enough left to keep people employed and the doors open and this budget helped just 2.9% of Hospitality venues - and only just. The cavalry didn’t just fail to turn up. They ran away. Hospitality has been patient. We’ve put forward the evidence, explained the consequences and made the case for a VAT cut. We cannot keep running on warm words. To the MPs who have publicly backed a cut, thank you. Whatever your party, that support matters. To those who haven’t: don’t expect endless hospitality while staying silent about the policies putting us out of business. Perhaps it’s time the welcome on our doors reflected the support we get through yours. #Hospitality #CutVAT #VatinlinewithEurope

There won’t be much of a sector left if we don’t get a #VatCut in this budget. #VatinlinewithEurope @allen_m_simpson - pushing this can down the road just isn’t an option. The campaign will have to change dramatic course if a VatCut is not in this coming budget. Simpson: VAT cut ‘highly likely’ in near term morningadvertiser.co.uk/Arti…

Could a hospitality VAT cut protect jobs and open doors for young people? Great to see this getting my @HospoVoices @wonky_table reseach from @bournemouthuni getting some more coverage as it informs @UKLabour labourhome.co.uk/could_a_hos…

650 CONSTITUENCIES. ONE QUESTION. Does your MP back lower hospitality VAT? Find your constituency. Open your MP’s card. See what they have said and the evidence behind it. Don’t agree and think they do support Vat in line with Europe get in touch. #VatinlinewithEurope @HospoVoices @wonky_table hospitalityvoices.co.uk/#mp=…

Well not one of my #Hospitality businesses will benefit from this…. Looking around to find anyone who does…… #vatinlinewitheurope is the ONLY reform we need that will actually help @andyburnham

Interested to know which “Hospitality Chiefs” are in the room as I’ve spoken to most of the people who should be in that room and they are not and know nothing about it. #Hospitality @JohnHealey_MP @andyburnham @MarkKleinmanSky #vatinlinewithEurope @HospoVoices @wonky_table

Before entering No.10, @andyburnham argued that hospitality VAT should be closer to the lower rates used across much of Europe. He was right: hospitality policy is high-street policy. Now that recognition needs to become action. #VATsTheProblem @andyjlennox @UKHospKate

The Makersfield Test. “How would a policy go down at the Pub” Every #Hospitality venue in the country only wants one policy and that’s a Vat Cut #VatinlinewithEurope After that’s we can sit down at the pub and discuss all the other policies #CutVat #VatCut #Vatstheproblem

The cat is out of the bag. 800+ hotels, pubs and restaurants. Some of the biggest names in British hospitality. All the trade bodies. All saying the same thing. Cut VAT in line with Europe. 20% VAT is holding British hospitality back. @AndyBurnham has previously backed VAT in line with Europe. Now he has the opportunity to deliver it. This isn’t about a handout. It’s about giving hospitality the tax environment to grow, employ and invest. If you work in hospitality, don’t sit this one out. Share this. Tag your MP. Make them choose a side. #VATsTheProblem #CutVAT #Hospitality #VatinlinewithEurope Hundreds of hotels, pubs and restaurants urge Burnham to slash VAT telegraph.co.uk/gift/0acc356…

The Government can’t have its cake and eat it. You cannot point to Europe to justify a new tourism tax while conveniently ignoring how Europe taxes hospitality. A tourism tax of up to 5% on top of 20% VAT means the headline tax burden could effectively reach 25%. Yes Europe has tourism taxes, but Europe also recognises the economic value of hospitality and tourism with substantially lower VAT rates. If we want European-style tourism taxes then give us European-style VAT. Stop picking the bits of Europe that raise taxes while ignoring the bits that help hospitality grow. #VATinlinewithEurope #VATsTheProblem #Hospitality #Tourism #cutvat

THE PUBS, THE HOSPTIALITY VENUES, THE PR AND THE VAT QUESTION ANDY BURNHAM MUST ANSWER @andyburnham has spent years presenting himself as hospitality’s political ally. He appointed Greater Manchester’s first Night-Time Economy Adviser @Sacha_Lord . He demonstrated real understanding of our sector. Pubs, restaurants, clubs and historic venues then became familiar backdrops throughout his campaign and government PR now…. Before entering No. 10, he publicly argued for hospitality VAT to be brought more closely in line with Europe. Hospitality heard him. Many within the sector backed him because we believed he understood the problem and would act. After another brutally hard year, we have deliberately given the Prime Minister breathing space. We have followed every formal route, presented the evidence and kept the door open. We hope Andy Burnham does not fail hospitality. We are not saying that he already has. His business-rates reduction for pubs, clubs and live music venues was a welcome start. But it does not support the whole sector and it is not VAT reform promised. At the time of writing, only 19 Labour MPs have signed Parliament’s motion supporting hospitality VAT reform. Patience must not be mistaken for silence. If the @JohnHealey_MP Budget arrives without a credible route towards VAT in line with Europe, the anger will be immense. Pubs & Restaurants and other Hosptiality venues cannot be good enough for the pint, the photograph and the political backdrop, but not important enough for meaningful policy. We do not want to reactivate #NoLabourMPs. But Labour MPs cannot expect another easy pint and friendly photograph in the venues their Government chooses not to protect. Prime Minister, hospitality backed you. Now back hospitality. #VATInLineWithEurope #VATsTheProblem #NoLabourMPs #BackHospitality #SaveOurHospitality @wonky_table @HospoTogether @HospoVoices

People keep saying a #VATCUT for #Hospitality will cost £10-15Bn that’s just not true and the treasury have admitted that to us. There is also no point in charging one of the highest VAT rates in Europe if it’s not being collected because people can’t pay it…. There was just under £7BN in Time to Pay in March 2026 (Source; FOI FOI2026/48259) that against an ask of £0.5BN monthly ask for Vat to be cut in line with Europe - puts it in to perspective. If #Hospitality makes up 10% of GDP then that means 90% of that money owed to HMRC is from OTHER sectors. #VatinlinewithEurope #CutVat

@griffitha @andyjlennox @UKHospKate @Porkyaskew @ChefTomKerridge @Sacha_Lord @Sassan_sir @lordwaynebas Careful what you promise before you get the keys to @10DowningStreet ... @andyburnham said hospitality VAT should be brought more in line with Europe. Well, Prime Minister - here’s the tape. 👇 Will you now deliver what you called for? Or is hospitality about to witness the first big flip-flop of the Burnham premiership? #VATsTheProblem #VATInLineWithEurope facebook.com/share/r/1ERKxqP…

Something to ponder @andyburnham instagram.com/reel/DVMvu3uiN…

@jamesmurray_ldn For the record if a #VatCut is not in the Autumn budget - this would be a betrayal for all of #Hospitality by @andyburnham and his first u-turn. The money is there, the cut is not as much as the treasury say and it is self funding after a couple of years - the will to do it is not there. We have delivered @bournemouthuni @wonky_table @HospoVoices paper on this, have you read it James? It shows the costings I’m more than happy to come and present it to you and the treasury (again!). #VatinlinewithEurope

This is the problem. SEPTEMBER is now the key month for campaigning to solve it. We don’t need another review of BR. We need a VAT cut. The final countdown. Need to see the trade bodies really ramp it up now #VatinLinewithEurope #Vatstheproblem @UKHofficial @ntiaofficial @BIIandBIIAB @beerandpub @NFFF_UK @scothospgroup @HospUlster @UKHospKate @MickKill @EmmaMcClarkin @AltonSteven @allen_m_simpson @ColinNeil @SMontgomerySHG

5/6 months ago…..the call for a #VatCut was fragmented and haphazard and I was told it would be impossible to unite everyone under #VatinlinewithEurope ✌️we would never get all of #Hospitality moving in the same direction with one clear voice…we would never unite the trade bodies... Well…… sorry you doubters were wrong. #HospitalityUnited Amazing to see how far the trade bodies and #HospitalityIndustry has come. #vatstheproblem sign here ✍️ vatstheproblem.co.uk There is now a real chance of change #Justkeepgoingjustkeepgoing #V @HospoVoices @wonky_table 👌

A tiny plaster to cover an increasingly gaping wound for thousands of businesses and absolutely nothing for thousands more. Makes a good headline I guess but sadly nothing more than a proverbial p*ss in the wind. #hospitality

We believe the Chancellor and @andyburnham deserves the opportunity to get the next Budget right and the time to do so. It is our belief that they are listening. However, the hospitality industry’s position remains unchanged. The long-term solution is a reduction in VAT for hospitality in line with our European competitors. Andy Burnham has previously acknowledged that this is an area that should be looked at and we welcome that recognition. While any support for businesses is positive, a 20% reduction in business rates for the overwhelming majority of pubs and bars (a none for restaurants and cafes) will have only a negligible impact on trading. In many cases it would not even cover the cost of the head on a pint of beer. The industry has consistently argued that the biggest barrier to growth, investment and job creation is the UK’s uncompetitive VAT rate. We will therefore give the Government the time and space to bring forward its Budget. But our message is equally clear: restoring business rates to where they were before is not a reform that the sector will celebrate. If the Government is serious about protecting jobs, supporting high streets and driving economic growth, it must introduce a VAT cut for hospitality in line with Europe. We will contiune to engage with the Government and the new Chancellor and give them the time to create a meaningful budget. If the cavalry is coming then this is the scout and VAT cut in line with Europe will be the charge. #VatinlinewithEurope #VatCut #V @HospoVoices @wonky_table