York pub landlord Paul Gardener has hit out at Labour’s business rates relief package, dismissing it as “tinkering around the edges” of a hospitality sector already under intense pressure.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Gardener said the much-touted 15 per cent relief should not be mistaken for a bailout, warning it merely reduces a tax rise that pubs were facing anyway.
Speaking on GB News the York pub landlord said: “The package may just sound like a charitable case. And as a bailout it’s not a bailout as such, as it’s taking 15 per cent less off what we’re going to do on an overtaxed industry in any case.
“So it’s tinkering around the edges. It’s not really moving forward like other countries have done.
“The Italians, the French and the Spanish have taken VAT to, you know, 10 per cent. The Germans have gone further than that with 7 per cent.
“And we’re just tinkering now on the edges and costing people jobs. With the massive redundancies yesterday with some pub groups, it’s getting harder and harder.”
York pub landlord Paul Gardener hit out at Labour for the taxes
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GB NEWS
GB News host Anna Riley asked: “With you being a sports bar, of course in that announcement yesterday they said during the World Cup that pubs could open till two in the morning. Does that impact you at all?”
He explained: “Well, we have a 2.00am licence already, so some of the games start at 2.00am it’s not gone far enough yet.
“Again, it’s not researched properly. It’s not really aiding us in any way.”
Anna said: “What about your costs? You’ve just had a letter through from Sky for your sports bill that’s gone up.”
Pubs are to get 15 per cent off their business rates bill from April | TAYBEH BEER / FACEBOOK
He said: “Yeah. So my bill before was £2,200 a month. It’s now moving to £2,400 a month. None of this is taken into account, and the Government still want more share.”
Anna said: “Where does this leave you now, looking ahead? You know in April what it’s going to be, but looking at the future of the industry, how do you feel?”
He explained: “Well, we take on less and less people, so you can give the staff that you’ve got proper hours and proper wages.
“So anybody that you really need, you’re relying on the staff that you’ve already got to do more and more for you which, you know, it’s going to come to a point when they’re going to struggle, and mentally they’re going to struggle. It’s just not helping things at all.
The package will mean in 2028/29, the business rates receipts from pubs for the Treasury will be lower than they are this year.
During the announcement, Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Pubs haven’t had the support they needed for too long under the Conservatives.
“They are essential to the social and cultural life of so many places across the country.”
Kate Nicholls, the chair of UKHospitality, said: “We welcome the recognition by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the scale of the challenges facing the hospitality sector.
“They have listened to us about the acute cost challenges facing businesses, all of which is impacting business viability, jobs, and consumer prices.
“The rising cost of doing business and business rates increases is a hospitality-wide problem that needs a hospitality-wide solution.
“The Government’s immediate review of hospitality valuations going forward is clear recognition of this.”