Ruth Cadbury has written to the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng MP to raise the ongoing impact that the Omicron variant is having on many businesses locally. In her letter Ruth raised the specific challenges facing the hospitality industry after recent research found that the average hospitality business had lost over £10,000 over the Christmas period. Ruth also mentioned the issues facing aviation, travel and tourism sector which supports over 20,000 jobs in the borough of Hounslow alone.
Speaking afterwards Ruth said,
‘‘I know from listening to local businesses that the Omicron variant has had a huge impact on so many small and medium businesses.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes have been hit particularly hard by the fact that they often rely on the Christmas period to cover slow months of trade in January and February. Likewise I know that the travel, tourism and aviation sector is continuing to struggle, especially after the Government refused to provide them with sector specific support that many trade unions and business groups were calling for.
In my letter I urged the Business Secretary to provide extra clarity about what support will be available, especially for businesses who aren’t eligible for the existing grants.
I also raised the impact that the Governments national insurance tax hike will have on businesses- who will be forced to pay extra, along with employees. I will continue to work with businesses locally to ensure that the Government is doing everything possible to give them much needed support at this difficult time.’’