Sacha Lord Unveils 5 Point Plan to Save Hospitality
Sacha Lord unveiled his 5 Point Plan to save Hospitality at the Labour Party Conference on October 8th.
5 Point Plan
At the 2023 Labour Party Conference, Sacha unveiled his 5 Point Plan...one he says the party need to adopt in order to save Hospitality - a sector that has been decimated over recent years.
Point One: Reinstate the Hospitality VAT Rate
The 12.5% VAT rate for Hospitality and Tourism was a lifeline for the sector, and must be reinstated.
This would allow the UK to compete with many European countries (where average rates are 8-9%).
Ultimately, 12.5% of revenue for the exchequer is better than 20% of nothing, which will repeatedly be the result if businesses go under (to say nothing of the lost PAYE/business rates and corporation tax revenue).
Point Two: Review Outdated and Unfair Business Rates
Britain suffered a net decline of 4,593 licensed premises in the year leading up to March 2023.
It's time the business rate system is reformed to actively support and encourage venues that provide a social and community good, such as pubs and restaurants.
Point Three: Fully Devolve Licensing Laws
Our diverse and vibrant regional Night Time Economies are curtailed by overly centralised licensing laws that risk imposing a one-size-fits-all approach on the industry.
Instead, local authorities should have greater powers to control licensing.
Point Four: End the Energy Rip Off
The government must give Ofgem more power to be able to step in and insist business customers are released from untenable long-term energy contracts, set when the prices of energy and gas were astronomically high.
Energy companies must stop using energy-intensive Hospitality businesses as a cash cow, crippling them while at the same time, recording record profits.
Point Five: Secure the Workforce for the Future
In order for our Hospitality sector to thrive, we must cultivate a talented workforce.
Careers in Hospitality can be extremely rewarding and lead to high skilled jobs.
The Government should reform the curriculum to reflect the millions of permanent jobs in the industry, introduce a Hospitality T Level (not just catering), and encourage students to consider the industry for careers, not merely Saturday jobs.
