George Osborne - My Fake Diary

Monday, 13 August 2012

'Slash VAT by half and my pub can survive. Keep it, and we go under': One landlord's personal appeal to the Chancellor

I saw this in the Mail's This-is-money section... well I didn't but my third secretaries personal assistnat's typist did.

In a story all to familiar to small retailers up and down the country, one pub landlord, Alan Piper, appeals to the Chancellor to lower VAT - a tax on turnover - that is threatening his business... Instead of George Osborne giving another £80billion to the banks, how about using this money for direct VAT relief?

Get the VAT off my back for a year and my long-established inn, The Sun, in the Lake District, will survive. Halve the rate - we will just about survive. Drop it to the same rate as a German hotel or French restaurant - and I'll be booking a holiday!

Keep it at 20 per cent - we will go under.

And what will I get out of doing that? A free pint?

Barclay's the RBS, and Santander are far more profitable for me to look after... huh!