Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell helped score a major victory today when her campaign for a VAT reduction in the hospitality and tourism sectors was announced by the government with the tax lowered to just 5% for six months.
Caroline had asked the Prime Minister last month in parliament to consider the reduction to help scores of businesses in the town because it would help safeguard jobs and help the sectors recover from the pandemic.
Since then she has been lobbying the treasury and the tourism minister to ensure the measure was taken and today the chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the temporary reduction down from 20%
“This measure will be an absolute lifeline for our pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels attractions and B&Bs in Eastbourne and Willingdon and I am absolutely thrilled it has been announced,” said Caroline.
“During the last few months I have left no stone unturned in my campaign to make the case that coastal communities like ours – so dependent on tourism and hospitality – could not recover from the pandemic without this extra help.
“It will be the difference, I believe, between life and death for many businesses in our town who can now have increasing confidence people will go out and spend and that this government has got their backs.
“I would like to thank the PM and the Chancellor for listening to me and others on this vitally important issue. This government is showing time and time again it is doing all it can to save jobs and livelihoods to enable this country to recover from this crisis.”
Caroline also welcomed August’s Eat Out to Help Out 50% discount on meals scheme up to £10 per head for adults and children from Monday to Wednesday.
“This is another fantastic and innovative measure to help these sectors and it will be a tremendous boost to Eastbourne,” she explained.
“And these are only just some of the measures. The comprehensive support for young people to find jobs is also quite brilliant along with the Job Retention Bonus that will also save countless livelihoods too.
“These are all announcements, in addition to tens of billions of infrastructure funding to help level up our communities, that will have a major bearing on our town’s fortunes.”
