Nightlife industry asks UK government for support in Autumn budget
Over the past few years, venues across the country – including many independently owned establishments – have been forced to permanently close their doors. Now, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) are asking for the British nightlife economy to be considered in the upcoming Autumn budget.
Many hospitality businesses, from bars and restaurants to pubs, clubs and live music venues, suffered significantly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. If venues didn’t shut down, they faced serious setbacks, and many have never fully recovered.
Now, the NTIA is asking the government to consider many issues affecting the nightlife economy, which they’ve detailed in an urgent appeal. They believe that for British people to continue attending gigs, eating at family-owned businesses, or enjoying a pint at the local pub, the government needs to make changes and secure greater funding for this vital sector.
The CEO of the NTIA, Michael Kill, has explained in a new statement why the government needs to pay attention, noting, “We are at a critical juncture for the UK’s night-time economy and independent businesses. The impact of inflation, rising energy costs, and business rates is crushing operators, many of whom are facing the very real prospect of closure in the coming months.”
He added, “Independent venues and cultural businesses are the lifeblood of our cities and communities, but without urgent government intervention, we risk losing them forever.”
In light of these comments, several suggested actions have been outlined by the NTIA. They suggest a freeze on alcohol duty due to the fact that the rising prices of drinks are actively driving people away from going out or spending as much as they used to.
The NTIA have also asked for an extension on the business rates relief scheme, and for VAT on independently-owned venues to be temporarily reduced. Then there’s the wider issue of the staggering rise in energy costs, which majorly affects venues. The NTIA are urging the government to consider how catastrophic this rise will be for the nightlife sector.
What next for the British nightlife sector?
Until the government makes active changes such as the ones suggested by the NTIA and pours more economic support into helping venues, the future of many venues across the country hangs in the balance with communities needing to rally around their local spaces.
If the government doesn’t do enough to help, then it’s going to become increasingly difficult for these venues to survive, according to the NTIA. Already, 6,000 night-time venues have closed down over the past year; therefore, the industry believes action needs to happen fast in order to save more businesses.
Chair of the NTIA, Sacha Lord, states, “The UK has long been a trailblazer in nightlife innovation—London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other cities have served as blueprints and influenced policies in city planning worldwide for decades—but we are now in danger of being overlooked on this global stage.”
During an exclusive interview with Far Out earlier this year prior to the election, Lord expressed his excitement for a Labour government, stating, “I am so much more confident that we’re going to get help from a Labour government, and quite frankly, we’re getting no help whatsoever now, and I think everybody knows that. Help is on the way, but the one thing they’ve not committed to, and I really hope to do, is a reduction in VAT.”
The Parklife Festival founder added: “We should be looking at 12.5 per cent, and getting 12.5 per cent of something is far better than 20 per cent of nothing, which is a shut business. If they did that, overnight they’ve scored five million votes, so it is a no-brainer.”
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