TalkTV host  Nick Ferrari fumed on Tuesday, June 2, as he shared the devastating impact of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax raids on the hospitality industry.

A new survey conducted by the main trade bodies found that April’s increase in  employers’ National Insurance had a devastating impact on the sector, revealing that one in three businesses are now operating at a loss.

Back in November, during the Government budget, Reeves announced that the Treasury would yield an extra £25 billion annually from the employer National Insurance contributions increase.

This sparked outrage and saw some of the UK’s largest hospitality groups criticise the Chancellor. On his show, Ferrari raged: “Six in 10 jobs in pubs and hotels have already been slashed. Two-thirds have cut staff hours, half have scrapped investment plans, and a staggering 67 per cent have put prices up to keep the lights on.”

In a display of brutal sarcasm, Ferrari clapped his hands and added, “Well done, Rachel. Let’s give her a round of applause.”

TalkTV viewers also weighed in with their thoughts, flooding the comment section. One user queried: “What industry has not been negatively affected by Labour?” Another responded: “We know it’s deliberate as it’s been predicted for decades.. They want to stop us socialising.”

A third commented: “Mike, lots of businesses I go to are looking to save money, some have resorted to reducing the amount of outside bins they have to save on waste costs. This woman hasn’t a clue how tough things are, she really hasn’t.”

The survey, for UK Hospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, the British Beer and Pub Association, and Hospitality Ulster, warned that the Chancellor’s decisions had added an extra £3.4 billion to firms’ costs and that the effects were so dramatic that Reeves’ target of bringing the employment level up to 80 per cent was “doomed to fail”.

In a joint statement, the trade bodies said: “The Government seems to be setting itself up to miss its own targets with these most recent cost hikes for the hospitality sector.

“Hospitality is vital to the UK economy but is under threat from ongoing cost rises, which the April increases have only exacerbated. Jobs are being lost, livelihoods under threat, communities set to lose precious assets, and consumers are experiencing price rises when wallets are already feeling the pinch.

“The Government must act urgently to mitigate for the changes to Employer NICs and also deliver on its promise of root and branch business rates reform.

“The overall tax burden on our sector must be reduced, including consideration of the long-standing ask of a VAT cut for the sector, so the hospitality industry can return to investment, job creation, and growth in communities the length and breadth of the country.”