Spring Budget leaves hoteliers ‘out in the cold again’, BHA says

The Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) has expressed its frustration at the outcome of the Spring Budget, saying that the government has once again left businesses “out in the cold” to face extremely challenging times with little support. 

Next month, as a result of chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement, the National Living Wage will increase, which the BHA fears will place even more pressure on struggling hospitality businesses.

Meanwhile, UKH has also warned that “irreversible damage” could be caused to the nation’s hospitality sector if the Spring Budget did not offer some comfort.

In announcing an extension of the freeze on alcohol duty until February 2025, the chancellor said, “We value our hospitality industry and are backing the great British pub.”

Raphael Herzog, chair of the BHA, said: “We are not feeling particularly valued, especially when our costs are set to increase further in order to pay the imminent higher National Living Wage. Our pleas for support appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

“We won’t give up. We need to carry on putting pressure on the government by lobbying, which raises the old issue which came up during the pandemic about there being no government minister specifically dedicated to the hospitality sector. I know UKHospitality is pushing for this because we need someone who can make decisions for our industry and fully understand the difficulties we face. As it is, we have been ignored once more, which is sad.

He added: “I have written to our local MPs and to Jeremy Hunt about the need for more support for hospitality. With the Living Wage increase, and no new support for the sector, it is going to be very difficult moving forward and I just can’t see if the government is going to be able to control inflation. Prices are still going up and the only way hospitality businesses can survive is to put their own prices up, which we don’t really want to do, but we have no choice.”