Key facts
- Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin believes Britain is returning to the economic problems of the 1970s under the Labour government.
- Martin cited difficulties with planning permission, a harsh renting environment, and restrictions on labor as key issues.
- He stated that pubs are closing at a rate of two a day this year due to tax increases and rising costs.
- Martin believes problems with planning began under Gordon Brown and continued under David Cameron.
- Martin suggested that Boris Johnson was not a 'free-enterprise guy'.
- Wetherspoon plans a 7.5% price cut on all food and drink next Thursday.
Sir Tim Martin, founder of the pub chain JD Wetherspoon, has voiced strong criticism of the UK's economic direction under the Labour government, drawing parallels to the challenging conditions of the 1970s. Martin believes current policies are leading Britain backward, citing difficulties in obtaining planning permission, a restrictive rental market impacting labor mobility, and general labor restrictions as key issues hindering businesses.
Martin noted that Wetherspoon's own growth was fueled by a period of liberalization in planning, licensing, and labor mobility. He stated that pubs are currently closing at a rate of two per day due to a combination of tax increases, minimum wage hikes, and rising operational costs. Martin also criticized Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans to rejuvenate high streets by targeting legal businesses like vape shops and gambling centers, arguing it is not the government's role to dictate which businesses can operate.
He expressed concern over a proposed tourist accommodation tax and highlighted the significant tax disparity between pubs and supermarkets, which he claims has cost pubs half their beer trade. To illustrate potential savings from a tax break, Wetherspoon plans to cut prices on all food and drink by 7.5% next Thursday. Martin concluded that trading conditions for pubs are 'infinitely more difficult' now than when he started his business.