Today, Windsor MP Jack Rankin spoke in the Opposition Day debate in Parliament on high streets, using his speech to celebrate the vital contribution of attractions from the Long Walk, Windsor Castle, Ascot & Royal Windsor Racecourses, Legoland and Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, to the economy.
Hospitality businesses in the Windsor constituency turn over £600 million every year – 34th out of 650 constituencies – one of the highest outside of London, with the industry employing 10,000 people. 12.2% of the population are employed as a result of tourism in the Royal Borough, equating to supporting over 12 million day trips.
In his speech, Rankin argued that pubs, which should be a thriving part of our hospitality sector locally, are being hurt by the Labour government’s decisions. The national insurance increase from last year’s budget has compounded this pain, alongside soaring electricity prices and alcohol duties.
Rankin spoke about his visit to community pub, The Swan in Clewer village, saying: “Having met with the landlord Micky Foden-Andrew, he stressed that whilst the Swan is well loved and well used by the whole community they are still feeling all the pressures facing our treasured pub industry including increased VAT costs, beer duty, business rates and now the Extended Producer Responsibility tax.”
He later took aim at measures that were “incompatible with thriving high streets”, such as increasing the minimum wage, the national insurance increases and the government’s Employment Rights Bill. He argued that these were also important for youth employment locally: “A lot of these hospitality jobs are the first jobs that people do. We talk about youth unemployment, but if we don’t get people into the pattern of working, learning these softer skills of serving customers, and getting up on time, we don’t just have a problem now, but into the future as well.”
