ALT Dear Newcastle MPs, Green MPs and Chancellor of the Exchequer, I'm writing on behalf of the Green Group on Newcastle City Council ahead of the Autumn Budget on 28 October, following representations from The Core - Newcastle Hospitality Association about the pressures facing our hospitality sector. Our pubs, cafés, restaurants, music venues and cultural spaces are hugely important to Newcastle. They provide jobs, bring people together and contribute so much to the character of our city. But rising costs are putting many businesses under increasing pressure. We are writing to be clear that we support the four support priorities set out by The Core: reducing hospitality VAT to 10%, reforming business rates,

ALT reducing employer National Insurance costs, and strengthening support for tourism and destination development. There's considerable common ground here with Green Party policy. Our 2024 manifesto supported reducing VAT for hospitality and the arts, and Green MPs have since backed a parliamentary motion calling for hospitality VAT relief. We've also argued for reform of business rates to better support smaller businesses, and remain critical of increases in employer National Insurance that place further pressure on businesses and their employees. As Newcastle Greens, we stand firmly behind small local businesses. Keeping more wealth circulating within our communities is one of our priorities, and that means supporting hospitality across the whole city, including our neighbourhood high streets, not just the city centre. Smaller independent businesses face very different challenges from larger national chains.

ALT We'd like to see government support reflect that, particularly through business rates reform. For us, supporting hospitality also means supporting the people who work in it, with fair pay and good working conditions. We want to see local businesses thriving alongside grassroots music venues and cultural spaces, with more local procurement, affordable public transport and help to reduce energy costs. This is ultimately about building a stronger local economy, where businesses can thrive, workers are treated fairly and more of the wealth generated stays within our communities. I'd therefore ask that The Core's four priorities, alongside these wider considerations, are taken into account in the forthcoming Budget and subsequent policy work. I hope Newcastle's MPs and our Green parliamentary colleagues can help make the case to the Chancellor for meaningful support, particularly for smaller independent businesses.

ALT The photo is from a recent North East Mayoral Strategic Authority Overview and Scrutiny meeting, taken in the room where Newcastle holds cabinet meetings. There is no photography at Newcastle Cabinet Meetings.