UKHospitality is to call on the government to delay the revaluation of business rates for the sector until the end of the current term, with CEO Allen Simpson urging ministers to consider a “specific easement” for hospitality businesses, or risk widespread closures.
UKHospitality is urging members to appeal directly to their MPs for a delay to business rate revaluations for the sector, as part of plans to equip decision makers with firsthand data regarding the potential economic impact of the Budget.
Speaking during a webinar this month, CEO Allen Simpson said the association remains dedicated to addressing the disproportionate rate demands on the industry, and will bring its concerns – and solutions – directly to the Chancellor.
“We are now in a position where we are shipping jobs, we are stopping investment and we are reducing the contribution we can make to growth because of tax policy,” said Simpson. “Before the budget last year, we were growing at 6 percent year on year, the fastest in the economy. This is a story of socially regressive policy and anti-growth policy.”
“We are going to be asking members and non-members to write to their MP to make the case. We will be briefing MPs in advance of the Finance Bill. We’re going to see if we can get a debate in the House. We’re working with Labour and opposition MPs to make sure that people who understand this impact have the data that they need to be effective.”
Noting the need to present “solutions which are affordable,” Simpson said “to my mind, the solution is to delay the business rates revaluations until the end of this revaluation term for the hospitality sector only, as this has a unique impact on us. We were lumped in with retail, but retail’s bills are going up 4 percent for supermarkets, and hotels, which are, if you like, the equivalent to supermarkets, are going up 115 percent.”
“So, this is a uniquely hospitality problem, and what should be affordable is a specific easement for hospitality in the way I’ve described. We will be working hard to have a conversation with the chancellor about how she can fix it, because it has to be fixed. We need to stick together.”
Jobs down, investment down, growth down
Allen Simpson said… “We are now in a position where we are shipping jobs, we are stopping investment and we are reducing the contribution we can make to growth because of tax policy…
Originally published on Coinslot on December 8, 2025. Republished with permission.