{"id":264787,"date":"2025-11-15T19:09:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T19:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/264787\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T19:09:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T19:09:13","slug":"uk-faces-budget-bloodbath-as-starmer-and-reeves-cling-on-politics-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/264787\/","title":{"rendered":"UK faces Budget ‘bloodbath’ as Starmer and Reeves ‘cling on’ | Politics | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Keir<\/p>\n

Politicians love being photographed in pubs – but will Sir Keir Starmer push pubs out of business? (Image: PA)<\/p>\n

Britain faces a \u201cbloodbath\u201d on the high street with the mass closure of pubs and businesses and thousands of jobs losses unless the crushing tax burden is lifted in this month\u2019s looming Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves<\/a> has been warned. Leading figures in British business fear a new raid by Ms Reeves in the November 26 Budget could be the death blow for employers across the UK which have been pushed to the brink of closure by last year\u2019s tax hikes.<\/p>\n

The British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA) is braced for a surge in costs which it calculates could force more than 2,000 pubs to close with the loss of 12,000-plus jobs. Kate Nicholls, who chairs trade body UK Hospitality, warned this is a \u201cmake or break\u201d moment for an industry where people are being \u201ctaxed out of business\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cWe\u2019ve had 13 consecutive months of falling employment and 170,000 fewer people on payroll across the UK since last year\u2019s Budget \u2013 a shocking indictment of the damage caused by those measures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms Nicholls warned two venues are closing a day with the sector \u201caccounting for more than half of all job losses across the economy\u201d.<\/p>\n

Emma McClarkin, the chief executive of the BBPA, has joined forces with some of the biggest names in hospitality and brewing and written to Ms Reeves to warn that the \u201cend of business rates relief and next year\u2019s revaluation of commercial properties\u201d are expected to push up rates bills by more than half.<\/p>\n

There are also strong fears in retail that higher employment costs, a new wave of red tape and changes to business rates will also force shops to let workers go.<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/p>\n

Sir Mel Stride warns of a tax ‘bloodbath’ for pubs and retailers (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)<\/p>\n

Andrew Goodacre, the chief executive of Bira, the British Independent Retailers Association, said: \u201cPre-election we were promised a fairer rates system and lower rates \u2013 since taking power rates have more than doubled for independents, and more increases [are] set to be announced. The costs of running a business keep increasing, whilst consumer spending remains flat \u2013 a toxic mix for any business.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is particularly concerned that positions will go if mid-sized employers are left reeling by a hike in business rates.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could be looking at 10,000 jobs, I would think,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: \u201cBritain\u2019s town centres are staring down a crisis. If soaring costs push thousands of pubs and shops to the wall, we won\u2019t just lose businesses \u2013 we\u2019ll lose jobs, community lifelines, and the heartbeat of our high streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Conservatives<\/a> would abolish business rates for pubs and shops on our high streets because without urgent action the country risks a bloodbath \u2013 a wave of closures that will hollow out towns and damage local economies for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Budget comes as the Government has been rocked by infighting and speculation the Prime Minister could face a leadership challenge. Senior Conservative and Reform UK figures claim this month could be the last time Sir Keir Starmer<\/a> and Rachel Reeves get to preside over a Budget.<\/p>\n

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice<\/a> said: \u201c\u201cThis will be Rachel Reeves\u2019s last Budget, of that I am convinced. And I actually think it will be Keir Starmer\u2019s last Budget as Prime Minister.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: \u201cJust days away from a Budget that will hike taxes and further undermine business confidence and investment, Starmer and Reeves are clinging on for dear life. If they refuse to heed the warnings of business groups and companies large and small about the damage their plans could cause on November 26, this may well be Starmer and Reeves\u2019 last Budget.\u201d<\/p>\n

UK Hospitality\u2019s Ms Nicholls said: \u201cIf the Government wants to get people back into work and revitalise high streets, it needs hospitality firing on all cylinders, but right now we\u2019re being taxed out. We urgently need action and are calling on the Government to lower business rates through implementing the maximum possible discount for all hospitality properties and taking immediate action to smooth cliff edges and cap valuation increases.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything less risks more closures, higher prices for consumers, and the loss of the vibrant hospitality that defines our communities and our capital. Hospitality is ready to drive growth and recovery, but we need the backing and support to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kate<\/p>\n

Kate Nicholls of UK Hospitality called on the Government to lower business rates (Image: -)<\/p>\n

The BBPA warns that tax, red tape and cost increases have \u201cresulted in a fifth of Britain\u2019s pubs closing their doors forever\u201d since 2010. It claims a third of hospitality businesses are making a loss and says Britain\u2019s beer duty is \u201c12 times that of Germany and Spain\u201d.<\/p>\n

Shevaun Haviland, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, described the damage to employment caused by the shock increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) announced in last year\u2019s Budget.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cOur research shows a third of firms have either made people redundant or are considering it due to the NICs increase. Their backs are against the wall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe answer to the Chancellor\u2019s problem is to use the Budget to support them to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Longworth, chairman of the Independent Business Network, said: \u201cThis Labour Government has been disastrous for the high street, hospitality, shops and pubs. The loss of rates relief, business taxes and the new employment laws are laying waste to our high streets and family businesses with a consequent loss of jobs.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce again Labour isn\u2019t working and I am not sure business can stand another three years of this government. The economy and our communities are in jeopardy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joanna Marchong of the Adam Smith Institute, said: \u201cIf the Government wants growth, the first step is obvious: slash the business rates burden and stop treating bricks-and-mortar firms as cash machines. The Autumn Budget must prioritise reform, or Britain will pay the price in boarded-up high streets and lost jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lee<\/p>\n

Reform UK’s Lee Anderson: It will be no surprise if PM and Chancellor are ‘blacklisted’ (Image: PA)<\/p>\n

Daniel Herring of the Centre for Policy Studies warned: \u201cBusinesses like pubs are being squeezed from every direction. It already costs \u00a32,367 more to employ a full-time minimum wage worker than it did last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: \u201cLabour\u2019s economic incompetence is driving thousands of British boozers into the ground, and with them tens of thousands of jobs. It will be no surprise if publicans up and down the country are already blacklisting Reeves and Starmer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the Chancellor cared for British pubs \u2013 and the long tradition and culture that comes with them \u2014 she would ease the tax burden, cut energy costs, and incentivise business.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Labour source hit back at the Conservative criticism, saying: \u201cThe party of Liz Truss crashed the economy and sent mortgages rocketing through the roof. With Keir\u2019s leadership, Labour is turning the tide, delivering growth and fairness for working people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means reviving our high streets, bearing down on the cost of living<\/a>, and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Labour pledged in its manifesto to \u201creplace the business rates system, so we can raise the same revenue but in a fairer way\u201d. The Budget will be closely watched for details on how it plans to \u201clevel the playing field between the high street and online giants, better incentivise investment, tackle empty properties and support entrepreneurship\u201d.<\/p>\n

A Government spokesperson said: \u201cPubs are vital to local communities, that\u2019s why we\u2019re cutting the cost of licensing, lowering their business rates and helping more hospitality businesses offer pavement drinks and al fresco dining, on top of cutting alcohol duty on draught pints and capping corporation tax.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Politicians love being photographed in pubs – but will Sir Keir Starmer push pubs out of business? (Image:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264788,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[235,84,44162,1294,59,1126,420,109324,2191,1445,109322,56,109323,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-264787","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-alcohol","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-business-rates","11":"tag-economy","12":"tag-gb","13":"tag-high-street","14":"tag-keir-starmer","15":"tag-pub-closures","16":"tag-pubs-and-bars","17":"tag-rachel-reeves","18":"tag-starmer-and-reeves","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-uk-high-street-crisis","21":"tag-united-kingdom","22":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}