GORDON Ramsay insists restaurants and pubs will be “lambs to the slaughter” under Labour’s crippling business tax plans.
The fiery telly chef, 59, is demanding Rachel Reeves water down the impact of hikes to the property tax saying the policy needs to be revised.
The increased costs come at the same time as the hospitality sector deals with rising national insurance costs and increases to the minimum wage.
Ramsay revealed in London’s Evening Standard that since his move to the capital when he was 21 he has “never seen it so bad” adding that the industry was “facing a bloodbath”.
He said: “When I look ahead to April, when the Budget measures come in, I think those of us in hospitality are lambs to the slaughter.”
He says things are as bad as the financial crash of 2008 and the foot and mouth epidemic hit in 2001 when revenues were dramatically hit.
The industry has just been “treading water” since the Covid outbreak as he urged government to enhance the support package.
He says they need a reduction in rates of between 20 and 25 per cent to help grow again – insisting this hasn’t happened for five years.
He said: “We work hard – I’m not sure the Government realises how hard, to be honest. That’s likely to be because it’s not working closely enough with us.
“I’ve lost confidence in its metrics, because this has happened before. Look at what happened with the farmers, who brought London to a standstill over inheritance tax.
“Look at the U-turn the Government had to make – it had egg on its face.”
His intervention comes as the Treasury are preparing a support package just for pubs but not for the wider hospitality sector.
Boozers, restaurants and hotels are dealing with eye-watering rises in business rates and are calling for a financial lifeline.
He said: “ I don’t think the Government has thought out its policy properly; it needs to be redone, revised, and ministers need to come back with a template for a much more supportive system.”
