Campaigning impact

Our #TaxedOut campaign has been one of our most prominent recent lobbying efforts, targeting what we see as an excessive tax burden on the hospitality sector.

Key figures and outcomes:

Jobs data: UKHospitality highlighted that since changes in the 2024 Budget (notably on employer National Insurance Contributions), hospitality has lost around 89,000 jobs, compared with average growth of 26,000 jobs annually in past years.

Business impacts: Surveys show that:

• ~1/3 of hospitality businesses are operating at a loss
• ~76% have increased prices
• ~63% have reduced staff hours
• ~40% have cut investment and a third have shortened trading hours.

Engagement metrics from the campaign:

• 1,600+ letters to MPs
• 100+ member meetings with MPs
• 5,000 pieces of media coverage
• 2m+ social media reach throughout the campaign

Policy asks include:

• Lowering business rates
• Fixing NICs (especially for young and returning workers)
• Cutting VAT on hospitality to align more with European norms.

This campaign has clearly influenced parliamentary debate, with MPs citing these figures in debates and public statements about the sector’s decline.

We have engaged actively with the Employment Rights Bill process –  influencing how new employee rights are shaped and implemented in ways that recognise hospitality’s operational realities.

• Provided formal consultation responses and written evidence to the Public Bill Committee, outlining concerns about unintended costs and impacts on flexible work patterns that are common in hospitality.

• Argued for industry-specific considerations (e.g., guaranteed hours references and sick pay implementation) so the laws don’t harm small or seasonal businesses.

• Hosted webinars and guidance for members explaining how the evolving Employment Rights Bill will affect hospitality operations.

Impact: Our submissions help shape the dialogue around implementation timelines and sector-specific concerns (e.g., moderation around day-one rights and procedures).

We played a role in the government’s Licensing Taskforce, which brought together industry, police and local government to review modernisation of licensing law.

• Involved in steering recommendations that led to proposals for a new National Licensing Policy Framework and a licensing condition amnesty aimed at reducing red tape for hospitality venues.
• Publicly supported government call-for-evidence exercises to ensure industry voices influenced outcomes.

Impact: While some reforms are in progress, our involvement helps ensure the taskforce’s recommendations reflect hospitality needs, and lay groundwork for future regulatory changes.

The Hospitality Skills Passport is one of our key workforce development initiatives.

• Piloted programmes with government vehicles like the Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) to train jobseekers and provide a portable, recognised skills accreditation.
• Data from scheme pilots show high success:

  • ~85% completion rate

  • ~80% of completers secured employment in hospitality.

Recent campaigning on skills has yielded concrete policy wins:

• Our advocacy helped secure hospitality’s inclusion in the government’s expansion of foundation apprenticeships, after the sector was initially excluded.

  • This includes:

    • New foundation-level hospitality apprenticeships

    • Removal of the 5% levy for under-25s, reducing costs for employers

    • Integration of the Hospitality Skills Passport into apprenticeship pathways.