Chancellor to speak with hospitality representatives after 'radio silence' on business support

Rishi Sunak is to speak with representatives from the UK hospitality industry today (16 December) after the Treasury was accused of ‘radio silence' as businesses pleaded for support.

The chancellor has been criticised for taking a trip to California this week while the government urged people to reduce social contact, causing Christmas trade at restaurants, pubs and hotels to disappear.

In parliament today there were calls to introduce immediate support measures for hospitality.

Pat McFadden, Labour's shadow treasury minister, said: "Where is the chancellor? Why did he decide to proceed with a trip to California on Tuesday when it was already clear that UK businesses were struggling to cope with what the prime minister himself has called a tidal wave of Omicron?

"Even if he is abroad, California is not exactly a communications desert. It's still radio silence from the chancellor, tumbleweed rolling through the Treasury.

"The Treasury says he's in communication with officials but what about some communication with businesses who are losing bookings by the hour and watching their December profits vanish into thin air?"

McFadden added that it was "disingenuous" for government to pretend businesses were not affected by the message to reduce social contact.

John Glen, economic secretary to the Treasury, said: "[The chancellor] was on a long-planned business trip to the US conducting government business and he will continue to engage today with other ministers, with representatives from the hospitality sector and others to hear their concerns about what further support should be required."

He added: "Of course the government recognises the additional pressures that these measures and this strain of the virus brings and of course we will be engaging carefully and listening carefully to those business representatives this afternoon."