Watch my contribution to a debate on protecting our hospitality sector

Nearly 100,000 jobs have been lost in hospitality since last year’s Budget.

If that number of jobs had gone from the steel industry, it would have been headline news for weeks.

And yet little has been said about the loss in hospitality since these jobs are dispersed across the country.

But behind these figures are lives that have been turned upside down, and in the case of business closures, communities that have lost vital third spaces.

Hospitality used to be a job creating industry, but under Labour that trend has gone into reverse.

The Liberal Democrats have a clear plan for fixing our hospitality sector, including…

👉Exempting hospitality businesses from the government’s jobs tax.

👉Providing assistance to access better energy deals

👉Reforming our broken business rates system