HospoDemo postpones protest by a week due to train strike

HospoDemo’s latest Westminster protest, which was due to take place on 7 November, has been postponed until 14 November due to train strikes.

The group said on social media that the protest had been delayed “so protestors from all over the UK and London can attend”.

More rail strikes will take place on 3, 5, and 7 November, the RMT union announced yesterday.

HospoDemo announced it would return to Westminster to stage a third protest following last month’s mini budget, which notably left out reforms to business rates and VAT.

Britain’s hospitality sector saw a net decline of one business closure every hour in the third quarter of 2022, with more than 2,200 sites lost since June as the industry battles rising costs.

HospoDemo was founded by marketing professional Rachel Harty in 2020 to urge the government to revise its policies relating to hospitality venues, both in terms of restrictions and industry-specific support.

The group organised two protests in 2020, which hundreds of hospitality professionals turned out to support.