Empower Independents – Letter to the Chancellor

NCASS continues to lobby government for the changes and support we need to see for our sector.

This is the letter we sent to the Chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget.

If you would like us to get in touch with your MP and arrange a meeting please get in touch via [email protected] 

Dear Chancellor,

I am writing on behalf of small, independent hospitality and catering businesses ahead of next weeks Budget. These businesses operate at the heart of their communities. They are small and micro businesses that include the cafes, pubs and restaurants that serve as community hubs, to the street food traders and local food businesses that enliven our markets, events and festivals.

In recent years we have fought tirelessly for these small businesses during Covid and again following last years Budget we stepped up our efforts to prove the value of independent hospitality for whom the current economic climate is a fight for survival.

This Budget provides an opportunity for the Government to recapture the imagination of small businesses that make up the everyday economy and help to deliver a sense of “pride in place”. If we want healthy high streets then we need a healthy hospitality sector to drive footfall, cater for events and promote culture as a driver of economic growth. These businesses, despite operating with very little profit, contribute so much to the high streets and communities in which they serve and have been taken for granted.

We are asking for urgent action to support independent hospitality businesses.

– Raise the VAT threshold to protect micro businesses

– Reduce business rates to give long term support to the high street

– Fix National Insurance Contributions to boost jobs.

– Cut the rate of VAT for hospitality, catering and night-time economy venues to provide relief, aid recovery, encourage investment and support long-term growth.

Now is the time for a fairer system and tangible support for the independent hospitality sector. Without it many more viable businesses and jobs will be lost.

Alan Fox, NCASS CEO