The movement began last week when James Fowler, owner of The Larder House in Southbourne, placed a sign on his door barring Labour MPs in protest at the Government’s Budget and the rising burden of business rates.
‘Raising our voices’
The action has since gained national traction, with operators describing the situation as a tipping point for hospitality.
Fowler said that the decision reflects deepening concerns about the sustainability of the sector. “This is a national campaign representing the whole industry. After the recent Budget and the increases in business rates things have gone a step too far. Something needs to be done. We are raising our voices and kicking back at the Government. This is a clear direct message back to them by affecting their MPs on the ground,” he said.
“We have had great support. Some negative comments locally because people think it is against our MP and it is not. I like our local MP, he has done great things for Southbourne. This is a much bigger story,” he added.
Fowler stressed the scale of businesses affected compared with the number of MPs involved. “There are only 400 and something Labour MPs, which is far fewer than the number of hospitality and retail businesses affected by business rates. That is our message,” he said.
A cut to VAT would make the most immediate difference to the sector, Fowler added.
“The UK has the highest VAT in hospitality. It is really tough to make any profit. There is no real incentive for people to get into hospitality. We want to employ people but we have had to cut staff because of reduced footfall. Hospitality is one of the biggest employment sectors in the country. We want to get back to where we were five years ago.”
Fowler also stressed that the campaign is not politically aligned. “This is not party related. We are not promoting any other parties. There is a murmur that this is a right-wing movement, and it is totally not. This is us kicking back at the current Government for their Budget,” he said.
The action is being amplified by Dorset operator Andy Lennox through the Wonky Table group. Lennox, who campaigned heavily during COVID alongside UKH, was the first pub operator to implement the ban outside of Southbourne and is now coordinating interest across the UK.
‘Utterly betrayed’
According to Lennox, the rollout is gathering momentum. “It is popping up all over the country now. We have about 50 down here. Probably about 150 dotted all over the place and it is getting bigger and bigger,” he told The MA.
He added that many of the operators taking part had previously supported Labour at the last election. “We do not want it to be political. Labour is the Government of the day and that is why they are being banned. Most of the people banning them are Labour voters. They feel utterly and totally betrayed,” he said.
Lennox says the current taxation model for hospitality is no longer workable. “There is nowhere else to cut now. This new one has come through with more taxes and you look around your business and think there is nothing left to cut,” he said.
Lennox reiterated that VAT remains the central issue. “It is and always has been about VAT in line with Europe and Ireland at around 13%. VAT solves the problems.”
“There has to be something wrong in a taxation system when the Government makes more money out of a pint than you do,”
Andy Lennox
“I have hospitality professionals who have worked for me for over a decade and I cannot afford the pay rise I want to give them while I am giving the 18-year-old who has just started 12%. There is something wrong with our tax system,” he added.
New campaign launch
Lennox confirmed that a further initiative(s) will launch in the coming days, which will offer an alternative for operators who are uncomfortable banning MPs outright.
The Wonky Table group has printed an additional 250 stickers today (10 December) with representatives in multiple regions who are coordinating demand.
Both operators expect the visibility of the movement to grow rapidly, even if the action itself remains short term.
“I am expecting hundreds to join, if not thousands. The press it is generating is the point,” Lennox said.
Fowler echoed the sentiment, saying the campaign is intended to make the Government confront the pressures facing hospitality. “We need Government to take us seriously. It is great to see it spreading throughout the country,” he said. He also noted that since Monday bookings were up 27%!
