Temporary 5% VAT cut on children’s meals: what qualifies and what it means for pubs
In light of the Government’s recent announcement about a temporary 5% VAT cut on children’s meals, The Morning Advertiser at what this means.
Legislation
Gov confirms VAT cut on children’s meals includes pubs
The Government has confirmed it is introducing a temporary VAT reduction to 5% on children’s menu meals at venues including pubs over the summer.
Inquiry launched into visitor levy
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism has launched an inquiry into the Government’s proposed visitor levy.
‘We’ve had over £1m of cost added to our pubs’
The Morning Advertiser’s Ed Bedington catches up with Camerons Brewery boss Chris Soley to get his take on the week’s news.
Vaping in pubs: What operators need to know
After the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 received Royal Assent last month, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has examined the current legislation around vaping in pubs.
Gov’s ‘shocking U-turn’ on holiday tax, costing 33,000 jobs
The King’s Speech confirming a Government U-turn on the Holiday Tax Bill will mean UK staycations will be more expensive, one trade body has warned.
UKH: Biz rates and tax cuts top priorities for new Wales and Scotland govs
Business rates and cutting taxes must be top priorities for the devolved Wales and Scotland governments to drive growth in the hospitality sector.
OPINION: Time to stop giving ministers a propaganda platform
For the love of god, can industry conference organisers stop inviting Government ministers to speak at their events!
UKH sets out six-point plan for Gov to tackle soaring energy bills
Trade body UKHospitality (UKH) has outlined six targeted measures the Government must act on to support hospitality businesses before it’s too late.
UTILITY UPDATE WITH NATIONWIDE ENERGY
Energy costs separate due to Gulf crisis
Tensions in the Gulf are changing how oil, gas and electricity prices move. For pubs, this decoupling matters more than ever when planning energy costs.
Majority of Brits oppose holiday tax - ‘a political signal no MP should ignore’ says UKH
Most Brits are against the Government’s proposed holiday tax , new research from one trade body has found.
Operators raise concerns over guaranteed hours policy
Pub operators have warned the Government’s proposed guaranteed hours policy risks undermining flexibility and increasing costs, as fresh concerns emerge over the impact of the Employment Rights Act.
Terror threat: Measures pubs must take under Martyn’s Law
After the UK terror threat level was raised from “substantial” to “severe”, The MA has outlined what measures pubs must take under Martyn’s Law to protect the public from terrorism.
Biz rates changes expose inconsistencies for pubs with rooms
Operators have raised concerns over inconsistencies in how business rates are applied to pubs with rooms, with some warning the current system fails to reflect how mixed-use hospitality businesses operate.
Key changes impacting pubs in April
A number of changes to legislation and costs hit the sector in April. We’ve rounded up the key changes operators need to be aware of.
Operators warn Gov: We pay wage hikes not you as increases take effect
Pub operators have urged the Government to remember businesses – not ministers - pay wages as increases to the national minimum wage (NMW) and national living wage (NLW) come into force.
Firms warn more jobs at risk as cost hikes bite
Almost two thirds of businesses fear they could be forced to cut jobs as significant cost increases take effect.
Biz rates set to rise as £3.4bn increase takes effect
Business rates bills are set to rise sharply from today, with total UK receipts forecast to rise by £3.4bn to £37.1bn in 2026/27 as the new revaluation cycle takes effect.
Professional advice crucial for tied tenants
The importance of professional advice when taking on and running a tied pub has been stressed by the pubs code adjudicator (PCA).
Warning holiday tax could cause thousands of job losses
The Government’s proposed holiday tax could shrink GDP, cause thousands of job losses and see the Treasury lost hundreds of millions in tax revenue, one trade body has highlighted.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Price: Gov must understand profit is ‘not a dirty word’
The Government must accept profit is “not a dirty word”, but attitudes towards pubs within Parliament are changing, Barons managing director and British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) chair Clive Price has said.
OPINION
OPINION: Yet another sticking plaster for hospitality
The Government seems to be quite keen to fling money at problems at the moment, even if the problems are of their own making.
What operators need to know about sick pay changes
With major changes to statutory sick pay (SSP) coming into force next month (April), one expert highlighted the impact on operators.
Gov unveils plans to integrate VOA with HMRC
The Valuations Office Agency (VOA) will merge with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) later this year, the Government has said.
Employment Rights Act could reduce flexible roles for young workers
The Employment Rights Act could reduce flexible entry level roles for young people if reforms are implemented poorly, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned.
MA LEADERS CLUB
Sector must act now to avoid becoming Gov ‘cash cow’ again
Hospitality needs to start lobbying now to stop the Government treating the sector as a “cash cow” again before the 2029 business rates revaluations are published.
SPRING STATEMENT 2026
Gov stability rhetoric must be met with action
Hospitality leaders have warned Government rhetoric on stability must be matched by urgent action following the Spring Statement.
SPRING STATEMENT 2026
LIVE BLOG: Spring Statement 2026
Welcome to The Morning Advertiser’s (The MA) live coverage of the 2026 Spring Statement.
Late-night sector shrinks by 28.2%
More than a quarter of Britain’s late-night economy has been lost since before the pandemic, with 75,000 jobs disappearing last year alone.
Tourist tax ‘the wrong policy at the worst possible time’
Serious concerns have been raised about the timing and impact of plans to introduce overnight visitor levies in England.
Sector hits back over MP rates row
Trade bodies across the sector have weighed in after a Treasury minister suggested hospitality leaders fuelled post-Budget business rates backlash.
Business rates relief welcomed in Scotland but many will miss out
Trade bodies in Scotland have welcomed the announcement of extra support on business rates for pubs and bars but warned larger companies will see no benefits.
Rogue biz rates agents ‘capitalising’ on post-Budget chaos
Budget confusion has seen an increase in the number of rogue agents targeting pubs, a leading adviser has warned.
OPINION
OPINION: Gov gaslighting off the scale
To mangle the Godfather quote, just when you think you’ve turned a corner, they pull you right back to where you started.
MP blames pubs and trade bodies for biz rates backlash
A Treasury minister has hit back at critics of Labour’s business rates shake-up, claiming the fallout came from pub operators and industry leaders failing to understand pandemic-era aid was always going to be pulled.
Trade bodies urge ‘evidence-led’ approach to drink-drive limit changes
Trade bodies have urged the Government to take a proportionate and evidence-led approach to potential changes to England’s drink-drive limit.
Landlord highlights cost pressures with satirical ‘Rachel Thieves’ pump
A Hertfordshire pub landlord has installed a pump clip labelled ‘Rachel Thieves’ to highlight the growing tax and cost pressures facing pubs, as operators warn that rising business rates and supplier costs are becoming increasingly unsustainable.
Welsh Gov 15% biz rates discount ‘doesn’t go far enough’
Wales’ First Minister Eluned Morgan has announced a 15% business rates discount for pubs, restaurants, cafés and live music venues in Wales.
Reform UK sets out plan for pubs including VAT cut and biz rates abolition
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has set out a five point plan for pubs and the wider hospitality sector, including cuts to beer duty and VAT, the phased abolition of business rates and changes to energy and employment costs.
Tim Martin: ‘Pubs won’t retain their historic role in British social life without equality’
Sir Tim Martin has warned UK pubs face long term decline unless the sector unites behind a single demand for tax equality with supermarkets, arguing that weaker calls for Government support have failed to halt the erosion of the on trade.
Kerridge raises fresh concerns over biz rates as sector costs intensify
Chef and operator Tom Kerridge has warned that rising business rates risk pushing pubs into a “race to the bottom”, saying many sites are now operating at “about 110% costs”.
Night-time economy warns of ‘accelerating decline’ as clubs miss out on rates relief
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has criticised the Government after nightclubs, grassroots electronic music venues and recorded music spaces were excluded from the latest business rates relief package.
Operators say moderation trends will soften hit from lower drink drive limit
Pubcos say the Government’s proposed drink drive limit reduction is more likely to accelerate existing moderation trends than fundamentally reshape customer behaviour.
Pressure mounts in Wales and Scotland for swift action on biz rates
Regional leaders of trade body UKHospitality (UKH) have called for swift action on the distribution of business rates support.
Licensing Hours Extensions Bill moves to Royal Assent
Legislation designed to make it quicker and easier for the Government to extend pub opening hours during moments of national significance has cleared its final parliamentary hurdle.
Scottish pub closure rate 50% higher than England
Pubs in Scotland are suffering a closure rate more than 50% higher than those in England, new research has found.
OPINION
OPINION: This is not a ‘bail out’
While there will be plenty in the industry that welcome the Government U-turn, let’s be candid about this - this isn’t “support”, it’s the Treasury moving to fix the problems of its own creation.
Rates relief ‘welcome first step’ but not a long-term solution
Pub operators say the Government’s biz rates intervention will ease immediate pressure, but caution that without permanent reform the sector will continue to face tough decisions.
Gov announces business rates relief and valuation review for pubs
The Government has unveiled a new support package for pubs in England, including a 15% cut to new business rates bills from April, followed by a two year real terms freeze, alongside a review into how pubs are valued for business rates.
Butcombe COO urges Chancellor to recognise ‘extraordinary value’ of pubs
Butcombe Group’s chief operating officer Jayson Perfect has urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to rethink how pubs are taxed and regulated, warning that current policy fails to reflect their economic, cultural and social importance.