“Our top hospitality venues won’t cling on for much longer” – George warns Ministers 

Many of West Cornwall’s top hospitality venues met local MP Andrew George recently to explain they’re now “clinging on by their fingertips” and “won’t be able to stay in business for much longer, unless the government has a rethink”. 

Andrew said, “My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have campaigned for a fair deal for this sector over the last year. Though I wasn’t surprised by what they told me, I was shocked by the revelations of the personal impact this was having on the hardworking people who run and who depend on these businesses for their living. 

“The combined shocks of revaluation, increased business rates, the National Insurance hike, sustained VAT, and other tax increases are all having their toll on this sector. This is especially challenging in places like West Cornwall, where low incomes and the need to adjust to seasonal variations make life even harder than for those running similar businesses in places like London. 

“Liberal Democrats proposed a 5% VAT cut at the time of last autumn’s Budget, paid for by a tax on the windfall profits of the big banks. But we would go further to support our hospitality sector.” 

Andrew will work with local businesses and take the case to Government Ministers before it’s too late.