'Budget has destroyed me. I'd have to put 40p on a pint to cover £28k extra costs'

A BAR owner has warned of a dystopian future where only big chain pubs and restaurants survive because of Labour's crippling Budget and national insurance hikes.

- Jan Disley and Chris Riches

Mark Wrigley, 61, who runs Manchester's Atlas Bar, says independent small businesses like his will be "destroyed" by the many financial changes.

The Budget was tough for the hospitality industry, with a large part of the new tax burden falling on the shoulders of a sector that has not had a break after Covid, lockdowns and soaring inflation.

Shocked

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a rise in employers' national insurance contributions, a lowering of the threshold for when those NICs start to be paid, rises in the minimum wage and a cut in business rate support.

Mark told the Daily Express: "It's a tax on jobs and it will lead to wholesale pub closures. It's beyond painful, and there's no sense of any light at the end of the tunnel.

"Unless the national insurances moves are reversed and there's a cut in VAT, only huge companies like Wetherspoon will be left.

"They will be able to just sit back, watch us go under and pick up market share." When MPs cheered the Budget's penny off a pint announcement, Mark said he was shouting at the TV screen. He fumed: "That showed me they have no idea. I sold more than 100,000 pints of beer last year. I've calculated I'd need to increase by around 30p a pint to recover the money given to Government. But we then need to add VAT on top. So that's getting close to 40p on a pint.