800 UK Hospitality Firms Urge PM to Cut VAT to 10%

More than 800 UK hospitality businesses, including major chains and celebrity chefs, have written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to cut the sector's VAT rate from 20% to 10%. The open letter, part of the VATsTheProblem campaign, argues the current rate is unsustainable amid rising costs and is causing closures. Signatories include pub chains such as JD Wetherspoon, Greene King, and Fullers, restaurant groups like Pizza Express and Wagamama, and hotel firms Marriott and Center Parcs. Celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge, Heston Blumenthal, and Angela Hartnett also added their names. The campaign is supported by trade bodies including UKHospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association. The letter references a public statement made by Burnham in February 2026, when he was mayor of Greater Manchester, in which he said he would argue for a hospitality VAT rate in line with Europe. The businesses are now calling on him to deliver on that pledge. "It's time for a fairer tax burden for hospitality," the letter states. "Without action, closures will only continue to accelerate, jobs will continue to be lost and opportunities for young people reduced.