3 days ago
Meanwhile, Martin Greenhow, who runs bars in Harrogate, Leeds and Sheffield, said the hospitality sector had "been reeling since Covid".
"People's behaviour changed, they're working from home, they're not socialising in the same way," he said.
"Fridays for our sector are down 30% on pre-Covid numbers."
Greenhow said the National Insurance increase for employers had been "a bitter pill", adding: "It directly led to us making people unemployed."
He believes the government should change income tax thresholds so people have more money left to spend in businesses such as pubs, restaurants, cafes and shops.
"People don't have the money in their pocket they once did and if they don't have it they can't spend it with us in hospitality or in retail," he said.
Greenhow also called for action to address business rates and said he was "desperately hopeful" the government would reduce VAT for the hospitality sector.
"That reduction doesn't just line people's pockets, it allows businesses to survive that are going under, it allows others to expand and make investment and employ more people, meaning fewer people claiming benefits," he said.
The chancellor's options for raising money are limited as Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged not to increase income tax, National Insurance and VAT, the three big revenue raisers.
In a speech in September, he said: "My defining mission as chancellor is growth, good growth in every postcode.
"And I've set out today the way this government will set about it: more devolution, more public leadership and control, more investment, more innovation, more jobs."
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