EVESHAM MP Nigel Huddleston has accused the Labour Government of launching a ‘sustained assault’ on the tourism, hospitality and leisure sectors, leading to rise in job losses, costs and collapsing confidence across the sector.
Speaking in the Opposition Day Debate on hospitality, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport laid out the full scale of the damage he said was being caused by Labour’s policies.
“Hospitality was a British success story. When we were in power between 2010 and 2024, we oversaw the creation of four million jobs – that’s 800 a day on average.
“And nearly 20 per cent of those new jobs were in the hospitality sector. But since Labour’s disastrous Budget, over 89,000 jobs have been lost in hospitality alone, that’s more than half of all UK job losses.
“This Government claims it wants growth, but every policy they pass hurts the very sectors that drive it.
“They’ve made it more expensive to hire people, run a business and even to stay open.
“As a result, a generation of young people will miss out on their first job in hospitality and businesses up and down the country are being forced to close their doors.”
According to UKHospitality, 79 per cent of firms have had to raise prices, and more than half have already cut staff.
Huddleston also warned of more pain ahead from the Employment Rights Bill currently going through parliament which is estimated to add between £0.9 and £5billion in new regulatory costs for UK businesses according to the Department for Business and Trade’s impact assessment.
“I said last year this would be the most anti-business Budget in British history. Sadly, that prediction has come true.”
Huddleston criticised Labour’s economic approach and lack of real-world experience.
“Labour doesn’t understand business. Most of them have never started or run one. They know how to spend other people’s money, but they’ve no idea how it’s generated.”
“They’ve hit hospitality. They’ve hit tourism. They’ve hit sport, culture, heritage – the entire DCMS brief is under attack. This Government is doing serious, lasting damage to key sectors of the British economy.”
“On this side of the House, we are unapologetically pro-business. We backed hospitality through the pandemic. We applauded its growth when we were in office.
“And we’ll be there again to pick up the pieces after this shambolic Government collapses. The British people deserve better, and we will not rest until they get it.”
