Euro could be a distraction
It's in the news and is currently taking up the country's attention in an all-consuming frenzy. Euro, Euro, Euro. Well, I suppose it's an important subject and not one to brush aside. However, Chancellor Gordon Brown's latest proclamation has rather put the matter on ice for a few months and, by continuing the debate, there is a danger that seemingly less important issues will pass by unnoticed.
Take stamp duty, for example. Earlier this year, Brown floated the idea of raising stamp duty on leasehold deals in his April Budget. "Don't worry," he told the business community, "if you can come up with an alternative proposal by the end of the year, maybe I'll reconsider."
Last week, the House of Commons started to debate the issue. But, no sooner had the discussion begun, when the famous Parliamentary "guillotine" came down, chopping short the argument.
This is outrageous. The current proposal to revise stamp duty legislation could add enormous amounts to the cost of setting up a business, particularly a restaurant, where money is usually invested in the operation and not the purchase of the premises.
The stamp duty incurred on a 35-year lease with a rental of £1m could increase from £20,000 to £230,000 (for example). That's going to knock this industry back much more in the short term than speculation about the effect of joining the Euro.
The Government promised consultation on leasehold stamp duty. But it seems as if the agenda for that has been removed owing to more pressing matters. September is now the deadline for any alternatives to be proposed, and September is less than 12 weeks away.
This is a serious matter that the industry cannot afford to ignore. Urgent action needs to be taken. Lobbying is required, the voice of operators nationwide must be heard and pressure must be brought to bear on the Chancellor and the Treasury NOW (Euro debate or no Euro debate).
Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
The age concern
It's a fact that the older you are, the more difficult it is to get a job. More often than not employers are looking for young and supposedly dynamic people to fill their positions. The implications are obvious - older people are past it, worn out and unable to offer the same as their younger colleagues. But it's time to think again as our feature on page 43 shows. Older people bring experience, maturity and wisdom to the party in an ageing population. In any case, it will soon be against the law to discriminate against them.
Jenny Webster, Hotels Editor
At Peyton's place
In the mid-1990s, if you could get past the bouncers and the velvet rope at the Atlantic Bar and Grill you'd be not only be rubbing shoulders with owner Oliver Peyton but an A-list fashion crowd on most nights of the week. But that was then. A few years later, the fashionistas melted into the night in search of new venues and excitements. So where does that leave Peyton today? Still enthusiastic and with renewed energy to move the Atlantic into a new era, that's where (see page 22).
Helen Adkins, Restaurants & Bars Editor
