Kemi Badenoch, MP for North West Essex and Leader of the Conservative Party has slammed Labour’s sticking plaster U-turn on business rates. The limited additional rate relief will only apply to pubs and live music venues. The temporary support package will only benefit 1 in 16 retail, hospitality and leisure business.
Last week Mrs Badenoch popped into the Cross Keys Hotel in Saffron Walden. She met with the team at the hotel to hear about the pressures pubs and hospitality businesses are currently facing, with the increasing cost of employment and rise in business rates.
She heard concerns around spiralling costs for the industry and the various effects this is having.
Commenting, Kemi Badenoch MP for North West Essex said:
“Labour’s partial U-turn on business rates is too little, too late and simply does not go far enough.
"While pubs are getting some relief, restaurants, cafes and hotels are getting nothing. The government should be supporting them, not clobbering them with extra tax rises.
“That’s why the next Conservative Government will scrap businesses rates for thousands of small businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure, we will always support our high streets in North West Essex.”
Commenting, Tim Sawtell, Operations Manager for Cross Keys Hotel said:
“Having had worked in the industry for over thirty years doing a variety of roles, this is the most challenging time I have experienced in the industry.
“The tax increases are destroying the industry; we are seeing cost increases at every level. It has becoming extremely challenging to employ young people, which is shame as many are missing out on their gateway job but due to the rising cost it is merely too difficult.”
