General Election: UKHospitality urges operators to invite candidates to visit

UKHospitality has launched an election toolkit that allows operators to invite parliamentary candidates to visit their venue.

The trade body has created an interactive map that shows the economic impact of hospitality in each constituency, as well as the number of venues and people they employ.

It also provides contact details for local parliamentary candidates and a template letter asking them to visit.

More than 130 MPs have said they will not stand for re-election when the UK goes to the polls on 4 July.

The UKHospitality website reads: “There is expected to be a record number of new MPs in the new parliament and we want them to be the hospitality sector’s champions. This relationship starts with you and your business.

“We want as many political candidates to visit hospitality venues across the country as possible, as part of the General Election campaign and hear about the vital contribution our sector plays in their constituency.”

UKHospitality said it has written to all parliamentary candidates and shared its key asks, which include reform of VAT, business rates, staff costs and planning laws.

The trade body has worked to lobby the Labour party as well as the Conservatives ahead of the election announcement.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds spoke at the UKHospitality conference in London last year and promised to “breathe life back into our high streets”.

Allen Simpson, a former director of Labour in the City, joined UKHospitality as deputy chief executive earlier this year.

To view the election toolkit, click here.

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