Serial restaurateur Gordon Ramsay has made a strong political intervention against Labour’s business rates hike this morning. All of hospitality – not just pubs – is in the firing line…
Speaking to the Standard this morning Ramsay says of London:
“I’ve never seen it so bad. When I look ahead to April, when the Budget measures come in, I think those of us in hospitality are lambs to the slaughter. Restaurants are already closing every other day. It devastates me because it seems no one in power is thinking ahead and considering where we’ll be in five years. We’re being suffocated.”
The chef says Labour needs to change tack:
“The changes in rates should be implemented much more carefully, with a much slower transition from what exists now to what the Government wants. The trouble is that the rises are coming in too quickly, at one of the worst possible moments… We need more oxygen — a reduction in rates of 20 or 25 per cent.”
He is scathing of the government’s management performance:
“Look at what happened with the farmers, who brought London to a standstill over inheritance tax. Look at the U-turn the Government had to make — it had egg on its face. It happened because ministers thought out a plan without any proper involvement of anyone in the agricultural world. Here we are again, only this time with restaurants and pubs.”
There is talk in SW1 that relief for pubs could come as soon as today. Up to now the government has been suggesting that relief would come closer to the Spring Statement on 3 March. Everyone else is in the lurch. Nothing short of a complete reversal here will prevent mass closures…
Speaking at Davos, Zelensky said:
“Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today. Action that defines what kind of future we will have. That’s the problem.”