Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash urges people to join battle to support town's hospitality sector
If there’s one message I’ve heard consistently since becoming Hartlepool’s MP, it’s this: Our hospitality businesses are under enormous pressure.
Whether it’s a family-run café, an independent restaurant, a pub at the heart of its community or a hotel welcoming visitors to our town, hospitality businesses are being squeezed from every direction.
Rising energy costs, higher food prices, staffing pressures and taxes are all taking their toll.
That’s why I am proud to back the new #VATsTheProblem campaign, which is calling for VAT on hospitality to be cut from 20% to 10%.
This isn’t about helping big chains.
It’s about backing the local businesses that give Hartlepool its character, create jobs for local people and keep our communities vibrant.
We all have a favourite local venue.
The café where we meet friends. The pub that sponsors the local football team. The restaurant where we celebrate special occasions. The businesses that make visitors want to come back to Hartlepool again and again.
When those businesses struggle, Hartlepool loses something far bigger than a balance sheet.
What has been particularly encouraging is the growing support for this campaign from across the hospitality sector and beyond.
This week, leading chefs including Tom Kerridge backed calls for a VAT reduction, while Andy Burnham has become one of the highest-profile political voices arguing that hospitality deserves a fairer deal.
Here in Hartlepool, hospitality provides thousands of jobs, supports our tourism offer, brings life to our town centre and waterfront and gives opportunities to young people taking their first steps into employment.
That is why I want Hartlepool to lead from the front.
Firstly, I am writing to the Chancellor urging her to adopt a permanent 10% VAT rate for hospitality, and I want every hospitality business in Hartlepool to add their name.
If you own or run a pub, café, restaurant, takeaway, hotel or other hospitality business, please complete my Google form and sign the letter.
Secondly, I make it my mission to visit as many Hartlepool businesses as possible.
This help me understand the challenges businesses face while also championing the fantastic work being done across our town.
If you would like me to visit your business, hear your concerns and help promote what you do, please get in touch at [email protected].