A petition campaigning for a UK Minister for Hospitality led by chefs like Angela Hartnett and Marcus Wareing now has close to 20,000 signatures and you can add yours here.
It states the case that the UK hospitality industry is responsible for around 3 million jobs, generating £130bn in economic activity, resulting in £38bn in taxation. Yet, unlike the arts or sports, it does not have a dedicated Minister.
The petition says, “We are asking that a Minister for Hospitality be created for the current, and successive governments. A dedicated Minister would liaise with industry representatives. We believe such a Minister would have been beneficial to Government and industry during the pandemic.
“As the UK seeks to encourage investment and tourism back to the UK in coming years, the vision that UK hospitality industry portrays of the UK is excellence, innovation, inspiration. We need a Minister who can listen to concerns on taxation and legislation and bring forward suggestions to the chancellor and policy makers on our behalf.”
Once it reaches 100,000 signatures, it will have to be considered for debate in parliament.
