JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Pilgrims among 170 businesses calling for action on business rates relief as Labours Autumn budget loom

JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Pilgrims are among 170 businesses which are calling for action on business rates relief as Labours Autumn budget approaches.

Hundreds of UK hospitality bosses wrote an open letter to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for permanent action.

They warned that high street investments will be curtailed, employment opportunities will be squandered, and ultimately, we will see higher levels of business failures if nothing is done.

The current business rate relief is 75 per cent but is due to expire on March 31.

The letter reads: As a bricks-and-mortar sector, hospitality is at the core of our high streets and local communities nationwide.

JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Pilgrims are among 170 businesses which are calling for action on business rates relief as Labour s Autumn budget approaches

There have been signs of growing anxiety within government over how to find extra cash from already-struggling Brits (pictured, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves)

Pictured are the Pizza Pilgrims co-founders in 2020

It creates places where people want to live work and invest. But business rates penalise businesses based in higher cost central locations.

In fact, we pay three times more than we should, based on economic activity levels – that is an overpayment of over £2billion.

To put it simply, our tax system discourages people from running high street businesses at a time where we should be encouraging them.

The 75 per cent relief has been helpful in recent years, at least for some businesses, but it disappears 153 days after you deliver your Budget.

It comes as fears mount that Rachel Reeves will impose one of the biggest tax hikes in history at the Budget.

The respected IFS think-tank has warned that Rachel Reeves needs to find around £25billion of increases on October 30 if she wants to avoid austerity and meet Labours manifesto commitments.

However, other analysts have suggested the total could be even higher at £30billion. And Treasury sources have been briefing that the black hole in the books could require £40billion of tax rises and spending cuts.

But there have been signs of growing anxiety within government over the will be found cash from already-struggling Brits.

With the Treasury now in the tunnel of wrangling with the OBR watchdog, there have been jibes about disarray.

Rumours have been circulating that manifesto measures such as imposing VAT on private school fees and cracking down on non-doms will not bring in as much as hoped.

And having ruled out changes to headline income tax, VAT and national insurance rates, the Chancellor could be left relying on an array of smaller raids - the effects of which can be very hard to predict.

The businesses calling for action

Samantha Rieu, Hotel General Manager, 11 Cadogan Gardens & Chelsea Townhouse

Paul Weeks MBII, Owner, Advocate Group

Simon Bachelor, Vice President Operations, Aimbridge Hospitality

Paul Wigham, CEO, All Our Bars Limited

James Nye, Managing Director, Anglian Country Inns

Laura Pritchard, Proprietor, Anns Pantry, Anglesey Ice Cream, Flore, Lazydaysanglesey

Martin Wolstencroft, CEO, Arc Inspirations

Frantisek Pavlovic, General Manager, Arnos Manor Hotel

Vincent Labeyrie, Director, Aspenlane

Joanne Taylor-Stagg, General Manager, Athenaeum Hotel & Residences

Debbie Priestley, General Manager, Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin

Patrick OConnell, Chief Executive, B&B HOTELS UK Ltd

Chris Alger General Manager, Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa

Scott Chillery, CFO, Barworks

Keith C Knowles OBE CBII, CEO, Beds & Bars Ltd

Maurice Abboudi, Director, Beer and Buns Limited

Laurence Beere, Managing Director, Bell & Ross Ltd, T/A The Queensberrry Hotel & Olive Tree Restaurant

Thomas Greenall, CEO, Bespoke Hotels

John Todd, Owner and Manager, Best Western Plus Delmere Hotel

Alan Morgan, CEO, Big Table Group

Tom James, Managing Director, Bills

Robert Wilson, Proprietor, Bleeding Heart Restaurants

Chris Clifford, Managing Director, Blunsdon House Hotel Ltd

Steve Hill, Managing Director, Bone Daddies Ltd

Nicholas Hemmings, Finance Director, Bowood Hose & Gardens

Peter Brend, Director, Brend Hotels

Raphael Herzog, General Manager, Bristol Hoteliers Association

Shereen Ritchie, CEO, Buns From Home

Alasdair Murdoch, Chief Executive Officer, Burger King UK

Tim Rumney, CEO, BWH Hotels

Gerry Ford, Founder and Group CEO, Caffe Nero

William Griffiths, General Manager, Caradog Hotels

Matthew di Rienzo, Director, Caraffini Restaurant

Daniel Sangiuseppe, Director, Castlewood Hotels

Ian Edwards, CEO, Celtic Collection

Nicola Taylor Beal, Chief Executive, Chardon Hotels Limited

Philip Turner, CEO, Chestnut Group

Gavin Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Clermont Hotel Group

John McCarthy, Managing Director, Clevedon Hall Ltd

Adam Charity, Chief Operating Officer, Coaching Inn Group

Clare James, Director of HR, Corinthia London

Girish Sanger, Managing Director, Courthouse Hotels

Chris Wayne-Wills, Chief Executive Officer, Crerar Hotel Group Ltd

David Loewi, CEO & Co-Founder, D&D London

Paul Downing, Group Managing Director, Dart Marina Hotel LImited

Mike Craig, Group Finance Director, De Vere Hotels

Oliver Harris, Deputy General Manager, De Vere Tortworth Court

Julie Tippins, Head of Risk, DHP Family Ltd

Julie Gingell, Managing Director, Docklands Restaurants and Bars

Mark Gallagher, Area General Manager UK, Dorsett Hospitality International

Ahad Vahabzadeh, Hotel Manager, Doubletree Bristol City Centre

Daniel Buck, Finance Director, Eden Hotel Collection Ltd

Graeme Bateman, Managing Director, ELITE HOTELS

Chris Kelly, Director, Fest & Revel

Devin Grosse, CEO, Focus Hotels Management Limited

Simon Emeny, Chief Executive, Fuller, Smith and Turner

Alicja Berthon, General Manager, Future Inns Hotel

Garry Mallen, Managing Director, G C Mallen & Co

Serena von der Heyde, Partner, Georgian House Hotel

Alexander Salussolia, Managing Director, Glendola Leisure Group

Apal Shah, Finance Director, Gravetye Manor Hotel

Harvey Jenkinson, CEO, Gravity

Nick Mackenzie, CEO, Greene King

Roxane Marjoram, Co-Owner, Gusto Pronto

Paul Ellison, General Manager, Hampton by Hilton Blackpool

Greg Csikos, General Manager, Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre

Tim Hart, CEO, Hart Hambleton Ltd and Hambleton Hall Ltd

James Birch, Managing Director, Heartstone Inns Ltd

Chris Guy, Chief Financial Officer, Heartwood collection

Robert Nobbs, General Manager, Heath Court Hotel

Pontus Carminger, Joint Managing Director, Historic Sussex Hotels Ltd

Margaret Coffey, General Manager, Holiday Inn Bristol Filton

John Todd, Owner and Manager, Hotel Columbus

Jens Hofma, CEO, HWS Ltd

Georges Moura, Hotel Manager, Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill

Joanna Kurowska, Managing Director - UK & Ireland, IHG Hotels & Resorts

Richard Hassell, Managing Director, Ilsington Hotel & Spa

John Hutson, CEO, JD Wetherspoon

Tim Healy, Owner, Joe Allen Restaurant

Cliff Nicholls, Managing Director, JXL Ltd T/A Jump Xtreme & That Fun Place

Bernard Yeoh, Founder & Director, Kai Mayfair Ltd

Meghan Farren, General Manager of KFC UK and Ireland, KFC UK and Ireland

Lorenzo Stella, General Manager, La Gaffe

Andy Townsend, Chief Executive Officer & Founding Director, Legacy Hotels & Resorts Ltd

Jayson Perfect, Chief Operating Officer, Liberation Group

Karen Bosher, Non-Exec Director and CEO, Livelyhood Pubs and Bootlegger Bars

Govert Feddrick Deketh, General Manager, London Marriott Hotel County Hall

Robert Snaith, General Manager, London Sheraton Heathrow

Charlie Elek, Managing Director, Lucky Voice

Jim Davidson, Corporate Finance Manager, Macdonald Hotels Limited

Steve Welsh, Director, Market Taverns Limited

Anthony Rosser, Managing Director, Marketglen Ltd

Karina Jadhav, Managing Director, Menagerie Restaurant

Fasika Bekele, Head of Finance, Methodist International Centre Limited

Paul Milsom, Chairman and Managing Director, Milsom Hotels and Restaurants

Phil Urban, CEO, Mitchells & Butlers

Deborah Jelffs, HR Director, MW Eat

Richard Cressman, Owner, Nailcote Hall Hotel

Andrew Nelson, Director, Nelson Hotels

Peter Marks, Chairman, NEOS Hospitality

William Mitchell, Director, North Shore Golf Club (Skegness) Ltd

David Collinson, Director, Oak Taverns Ltd

Peter Borg-Neal, CEO, Oakman Inns

Anthony Pender, Founder, Our Yummy Collection

Alistair Telfer, Chief Executive and Club Secretary, Oxford and Cambridge Club

Nicolas Gaillot, COO, Paris Baguette

Michael Stevenson, General Manager, Pentahotel Reading

Gemma Peel, Finance Director, Permanently Unique Group

Emma Brealey, Managing Director, Petwood Hotel

Mike Spencer, Business Development Director, Pizza Hut Restaurants

James Elliot, Founder, Pizza Pilgrims

Peter Austin, Owner, Plas Estate

Eddie Murphy, Director, PLS Management Ltd

Drew Taylor, CFO, Popeyes UK

Mark Crowther, Chairman, Portobello Pub Co, Pub People, Heron & Brearley

Michael Evered, Finance Director, Poste Hotels Ltd - The George Hotel Stamford

John Creighton, Managing Director, Pottingshed Bar and Gardens Limited

Danya Salem, General Manager, Radisson Blu Bristol

Stephen Harron, Operations Director, RBH Hospitality Management

Richard Lewis, Group CEO, RedCat Pub Company Limited

Noel Byrne, CEO, Review Hotels Ltd

Ian Fitzgerald, Managing Director, Rick Stein Group

Gavin Adair, CEO, Rosas Thai

James Shail, MD, Rothay Manor Boutique Hotel and Restaurant

Annette Prandzioch, Director General, Royal Over-Seas League

Rick Stein, Chef and Restauranteur, Seafood Trading Ltd

Neil Kedward, Chief Executive, Seren

Jo Watson, Director, Sidmouth Hotels Ltd

Heather Hamtilon, General Manager, Sloane Square Hotel Ltd

Sheila Cadd, Proprietor, Somerville House Bed and Breakfast

Tomas Maunier, Managing Director, Southern Wind Group Ltd

Kevin Georgel, Chief Executive, St Austell Brewery

Araceli Rius Perez, Commercial Director UK, St James Court, A Taj Hotel & Taj 51 Buckingham Gate,

Suites and Residences

Dan McLennan, Managing Director, Stange & Co. Pub Company

David McDowall, CEO, Stonegate Group

Simon Potts, CEO, The Alchemist

David Balden, Club Secretary and CEO, The Caledonian Club

Marcel Khan, CEO, The Fulham Shore

Jon Fletcher, Proprietor, The Grange at Oborne

Jonathan Greatorex, Managing Director, The Hand At Llanarmon Ltd

Stefan Soennichsen, Managing Director, The Langham, London

Caroline Gregory, Director, The Lovat Loch Ness Limited

Naomi Heaton, CEO, The Other House Residents Club

Rob Pitcher, CEO, The Revel Collective

Tony Hendy, Head of Retail, The Seafood Restaurant Ltd

Tim Wilson, Owner and Director, The Ship Ltd

Andrew McKenzie, Managing Director, The Vineyard Group

Celia Gaze, Founder and Chief Executive, The Wellbeing Farm

Philip Thorley, MD, Thorley Taverns

Paul Gilchrist, CEO, Thunderbird Fried Chicken

Tim Hassell, Estates Director, Thurlestone Estates Ltd

Neil Sebba, Managing Director, Tossed

Fred Hitchcock, Managing Director, Town & Country Collective

Hari Fell, Owner, Tudor Farmhouse Hotel

Nathan Midgley, Managing Director, Tynedale Hotel Limited

Ian Grundy, CEO, Urban Village Pub Company

Gerry Carroll, CEO, Valiant Pub Company Limited

Derek Lister, Group Financial Controller, Valor Hospitality

Henry Birts, CEO, Wasabi

Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director, WatchHouse

Nigel Saunders, Group Financial Director, Webb Hotel Group Ltd

Brian Keeley Whiting, Manging Director, WH Pubs Ltd

Norman Edwards, Director, Wheelers Old Kings Arms Hotel Pembroke

Robert Walton MBE, Chairman, WorldYYY

Shaun Whitehouse, Director, WT Hotels Ltd

Louisa Watson, Marketing Director & Sustainability Lead, Wyboston Lakes Resort

Jeremy Pick, Managing Director, Yew Lodge Limited

Simon Dodd, CEO, Youngs Pubs