Rishi Sunak
Coverage focuses on government policy, fiscal decisions, and public statements affecting the UK hospitality and foodservice sector, as shaped by the former Chancellor and Prime Minister. From Budget announcements and VAT policy to business rates, inflation, staffing, and energy support, reporting examines how leadership decisions impact restaurant groups, pub operators, caterers, and hospitality businesses across the country.
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Jan- 2021 -19 JanuaryGovernment
Sunak looks to raise corporation tax in March budget
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly looking to raise corporation tax in the upcoming March budget to pay off the estimated £400bn borrowed by the UK throughout the pandemic. According to The Financial Times, the alleged move has sparked uproar among business owners who claim they are still struggling with the economic impact of Covid-19. However, it…
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19 JanuaryRestaurants
Prezzo’s chair joins Build Back Better Council
Karen Jones, the executive chair of Prezzo, will represent the hospitality industry on the government’s new Build Back Better Council. The new business council will be co-chaired by the prime minister and chancellor, with the business secretary as a standing member and other cabinet ministers attending as required. Jones is…
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11 JanuaryCoronavirus
Pandemic costs D&D London £2.5m a month, owner warns
Des Gunewardena, the owner of restaurant group D&D London, has written to the government calling for greater support ahead of today’s (11 January) parliamentary debate on the hospitality industry. In a letter addressed to chancellor Rishi Sunak, Gunewardena revealed that Covid-19 is costing D&D London £2.5m per month of closure.…
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8 JanuaryPubs and Bars
Lockdown forces further borrowing for Arc Inspirations
Arc Inspirations, a bar group in the north of England, has been forced to borrow an additional £1m as the UK enters another lockdown, according to the BBC. Martin Wolstencroft, CEO at the chain that operates over 17 venues across the country, had already taken out £4m in loans to…
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5 JanuaryCoronavirus
Chancellor unveils £4.6bn in new lockdown grants
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off grant worth up to £9,000, the chancellor has announced. The news comes after the prime minister’s announcement that businesses will be closed until at least February half-term in order to help control the spread of Covid-19. This…
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Dec- 2020 -17 DecemberCoronavirus
Furlough scheme extended until April 2021
The furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages to employee’s pay, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed today (17 December). The government will also extend current government-guaranteed Covid-19 business loan schemes until the end of March. This includes…
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Nov- 2020 -26 NovemberBusiness
Hospitality businesses claim £849m through EOTHO
Hospitality businesses claimed £849m through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme (EOTHO) providing discounts for over 160 million meals in August, new government figures show. According to HMRC, over 52,000 businesses registered for the scheme and 49,000 of these had made a claim for the scheme by 30 September.…
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13 NovemberGovernment
Chancellor unable to rule out further EOTHO schemes
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has declined to rule out further measures similar to the Eat Out To Help Out scheme when the economy reopens after the latest lockdown. According to Sky News, Sunak said the government would look at a “range of things” to “get consumers spending again and people out…
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12 NovemberCoronavirus
Hospitality figures pen letter calling for EIS amendment
Hospitality figures backed by the UK hospitality trade bodies have written an open letter to Rishi Sunak calling for an amendment to the current EIS and SEIS to “boost private investment in the sector and provide an alternative to government loans”. The proposals from Alan Lorrimer, founder of The Piano…
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5 NovemberCoronavirus
Chancellor extends furlough scheme to March
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March, amid increased measures for business support as the UK enters a four-week lockdown. Payments are set to remain at 80% of employee’s wages. It comes as the chancellor said that it was “right…
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