Hundreds of independent takeaway owners have written to both Tory leadership candidates today to plead for support in the wake of skyrocketing energy bills and rising costs. In an open letter backed by the British Takeaway Campaign – the body which represents the nation’s independent takeaway industry – more than 750 restaurant and café owners have urged the Government to take immediate action to ensure they’re able to keep their doors open.

The restaurants are calling on the Government to:

• Cut VAT to reduce the cost of energy and keep food affordable for customers
• A moratorium on ‘red tape’ which is pilling costs onto the smallest restaurants
• Provide business rate rebates

Ibrahim Dogus, Chair of the British Takeaway Campaign says:

“The Government has waited until the last moment to act before, but now cannot be one of those times. It must work with the Conservative leadership candidates on a plan to support Britain’s smallest restaurants before it’s too late. Restaurants are going bust every single day, and the hundreds that have signed this letter, and the many more the British Takeaway Campaign represents, don’t want to be another boarded up shop.”

Curry houses, kebab shops, fried chicken joints and chip shops have united in demanding action. Expect a lot more of this as Britain pays the price for the loss of our energy independence driven by misguided green policies …