JD Wetherspoon chair Tim Martin has said it is “not up to the Prime Minister, or the leader of the opposition” to decide what businesses occupy the UK’s high streets, telling City AM “there’s no point in demoralising people who run legal businesses.” It’s another message, from another prominent force, to the Prime Minister: stop pushing your morals on to our high streets.
Tim Martin has said it is “not up to the Prime Minister, or the leader of the opposition”, to rule on what businesses can operate on the high street, as the Government continues its crackdown on “rogue operators.”
Speaking to City AM, the founder and chair of JD Wetherspoon criticised the decision to legislate against legitimate businesses, stating trading conditions are “infinitely more difficult now” than when he started in 1979.
“I think it’s not up to the Prime Minister, or the leader of the opposition, to say what shops should be in high streets,” said Martin. “In my view, if there’s demand for vape shops, and there are no other takers, then there’s no point in criticising vape shops.”
“They’re paying rent and rates, and they’re employing people… Vape shops and betting shops are legal businesses, and there’s no point in demoralising people who run legal businesses.”
Highlighting the already-fragile state of the UK high street, Martin said: “It’s pointless to suggest that high streets would be better off without those transactions taking place in the town centre.”
During the interview, Martin also took aim at the government’s decision to allow the introduction of a tourist tax, citing the significant impact rising costs have had on both businesses and consumers.
“The UK has become a heavily taxed economy. If it’s a tax and it removes money from the public by meaning they have to pay more, I’m against it. I think we’ve had a lot of tax increases in recent years, and we don’t need any more.”
Martin was one of the thousands of pub operators who recently backed calls for a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector to 10 percent, and will this week cut prices by 7.5 percent across the Wetherspoon estate to demonstrate how the reduction could benefit customers.
“We realise that the government would lose money if it stopped VAT on food in pubs, but I think it needs to rebalance taxes between pubs and supermarkets so that they’re approximately the same. Now they’re much higher in pubs.”
It’s not your call
Tim Martin said… “I think it’s not up to the Prime Minister, or the leader of the opposition, to say what shops should be in high streets…
Originally published on Coinslot on September 21, 2026. Republished with permission.