‘Economic vandalism!’ Landlord rages at Labour as ‘nice pub tax’ to hit nation’s boozers

Labour has been accused of “economic vandalism” by a pub landlord as a new tax on boozers in desirable locations looms.

Speaking to GB News, Jonathan Greatorex said Sir Keir Starmer's Government was “waging war on hospitality” with the new measures.

It was revealed today that HMRC had mandated higher business rates for pubs in “attractive locations” that are community hubs or located in “character properties”.

Following the announcement, Tories slammed the measures as a “nice pub tax” and warned they could lead to the closure of beloved boozers across the country.

Mr Greatorex, who runs The Hand in Wales, described the additional tax as “utterly bonkers”.

“It gets madder and madder, and they're just gaslighting us. This government is absolutely mad.

“Let's just start off with the basic fact that my business rates this year have gone up by 70 per cent. This is just lunacy.

“The industry is on its knees, and it feels like economic vandalism. That's what it feels like now.

“This feels as though they have waged war with hospitality. And you know what? We've had enough,” the landlord declared.

Explaining what he believed to be the driving force behind the policies, Mr Greatorex said it was “fundamentally gross incompetence because of course, none of these people has ever had to make a penny”.

“I'm not saying they've earned a penny, but they've never had to go and make a penny. And that's the difficult thing.

“Profit has become a really dirty word with this Government.

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“What they don't understand is that unless a business makes a profit, we can't afford to pay our taxes, can't afford to pay our staff, and they will go under.

“I've actually been to the House of Commons. I've sat with my local MP, who understands he gets it, and he's a Labour MP, but the government are not listening. They are just not listening at all, and it's terrifying,” the landlord said.

Describing the pressures on the hospitality industry, Mr Greatorex cited the experience of a friend of his who was forced to close his doors.

“I had a heartbreaking text from a dear friend last night who has run a Michelin Star restaurant for years," he said.

“He's reluctantly said he can't carry on anymore. And he's been going for 30 years,” the landlord said.

Responding to criticism, a HMRC spokesman said: “We are backing Britain's pubs, cutting this year's business rates bills by 15 per cent, followed by a two-year freeze, extending World Cup opening hours and increasing the hospitality support fund to £10 million to help venues grow.

“HMRC experts have issued standard industry methods which have been used to value pubs for decades,” they added.