General Election Toolkit 2017

CONTACTING YOUR CANDIDATES

The snap General Election is a fantastic opportunity for BHA members to engage with, challenge and persuade local politicians. Now is the time to ensure that the interests of hospitality and tourism are represented in the next Parliament and particularly throughout the Brexit negotiations.

The BHA has produced this toolkit to help you contact your Parliamentary Candidates to make sure that they are aware of what the industry needs from government in order to flourish over the next Parliament.

This guide includes details of:

How to find your Parliamentary Candidates

Template for writing to your Parliamentary Candidates

Securing a meeting with your Parliamentary Candidates

Agenda for the meeting with your Parliamentary Candidates

Resources: Suggested tweets, placard and a factsheet

Ufi Ibrahim Chief Executive British Hospitality Association

WELCOME

We hope you find it useful and please let us know how you get on. We are ready to support you throughout this process, please email GeneralElection@bha.org.uk.

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HOW TO FIND YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES FOR YOUR AREA

To find out who your local candidates are, enter your postcode into the link below.

If you live and work in different constituencies, you could write to both sets of candidates.

If you need assistance finding your local Parliamentary Candidates please contact GeneralElection@bha.org.uk

click here to visit the website

WRITING TO PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

As this election was called at very short notice, we would recommend contacting your candidates as soon as possible by email.

The BHA has prepared the template below for you to send to your parliamentary candidates setting out the key concerns of our industry at this election. We recommend that you add in a personal message in the space provided to highlight how important this message is to you.

You can also brief them on how many local jobs and how much local investment are dependent upon hospitality and tourism in your area by using BHA Local Economic Contribution Map and searching for your postcode.

When sending by email please cc in GeneralElection@bha.org.uk which will help the BHA team keep track of which Parliamentary Candidates have been contacted.

SECURING A MEETING WITH YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

You can usually expect a response within two working weeks and to meet at the local offices of their political party.

LETTER TEMPLATE

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Re: Hospitality and Tourism recommendations for the next government

Dear Mr/Ms [Insert candidate name],

As a [tourism/hospitality] business in your constituency, I am writing to request a meeting with you to discuss the needs of the hospitality and tourism industry over the coming years, particularly as Britain prepares to leave the European Union.

The hospitality and tourism industry is a lynchpin of the UK economy, as it is the fourth largest industry employing 4.49 million people across the country and contributing 10% to our GDP. However, the industry faces real challenges over the coming years that I would like to discuss with you.

[Personal Message here explaining the contribution of your establishment to the economy and to local life]

THE BRITISH HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION, THE LEADING INDUSTRY TRADE BODY, IS CALLING ON THE NEXT GOVERNMENT TO:

1. Recognise the importance of EU workers to our industry and develop evidence-based immigration rules with visa requirements that encourage rather than discourage foreign tourists

In many parts of the country, hospitality has become reliant on EU workers. As a result, hospitality was the first industry to come up with a 10-year strategy to reduce our reliance on EU workers and increase employment amongst under-employed British groups. Hospitality is already a key employer of apprentices.

However, we need a phased, ten-year transitional immigration agreement to do this. We also want the government to guarantee the rights of EU workers currently living here. Without a transitional arrangement, research by KPMG has shown that the hospitality industry will have a shortfall of labour amounting to 60,000 people per year.

The success of my business relies on the UK’s ability to attract both domestic and foreign visitors. This means that visa requirements for foreign tourists must not be too onerous or the cost too expensive.

2. Assess the impact that future National Living Wage rises would have on employment and business sustainability and extend National Insurance Contributions relief to all under 25s

We want to pay our staff well and have welcomed the introduction of the National Living Wage. However, hospitality businesses have been hit with business rate rises, the introduction of auto-enrolment, rising costs relating to Brexit and increased wage bills concurrently.

3. Reduce VAT on visitor accommodation and attractions from 20 to 5%, bringing the UK into line with our European competitors

This would bring the UK into line with 31 of our European competitor destinations, creating 121,000 jobs, bringing in £4.6bn for the Treasury and improving the UK’s balance of trade position by £23bn over 10 years.

In the last Parliament, 173 MPs were public supporters of our campaign. I hope that you will join them in showing your support as a candidate by sending the following tweet or Facebook post:

“I support @CutTourismVAT to support the hospitality industry, bring the UK into line with 31 other European countries & creating 121,000 jobs.”

4. Review Business Rates, capital allowances and tax relief systems to ensure that ‘bricks and mortar’ businesses can thrive. Cap Business Rate increases for hospitality and tourism businesses to 12.5%

Hospitality and tourism businesses are by their nature often bricks-and-mortar premises with a large physical footprint. At the recent Business Rates revaluation, hotels are facing an average rateable value rise of 23%. Restaurants and pubs face massive increases too.

The hospitality and tourism industry is facing a ‘perfect storm’ due to increases in business rates, increased payroll costs and the impact of Brexit. This means businesses are delaying capital investment, the very improvements we must make to remain competitive and provide great customer service.

As the industry grapples with these issues and aims to continue to grow, I would appreciate the opportunity to come and discuss these policies with you in person, and talk more about how you, as the prospective MP for the area, could support the industry through the next parliament.

I look forward to hearing you.

Yours sincerely,

[Insert name, business name and full postal address]

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AGENDA FOR THE MEETING WITH YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE

Please print out the placard linked to at the bottom of this page, to take a picture of the candidate with it, which we can use for social media.

Apart from discussing local issues that affect you and your family, we would also suggest discussing the following if applicable to you:

• Ask the candidate to become a public supporter of the Campaign to Cut Tourism VAT

• The importance of new visa rules that encourage, rather than discourage, foreign tourists to come to the UK

• Explain your local recruitment concerns whether because you currently employ many EU staff or believe that the government should do more to encourage young people to consider a career in hospitality

• The need for a fundamental review of Business Rates before the next revaluation

• The detrimental effect that proposals for bed taxes or new tourism levies would have on hospitality and tourism business

• The impact of Home Sharing platforms like Airbnb on traditional hospitality businesses

• The needs of Coastal Communities (if appropriate) and ask for a sustained investment strategy from government which includes private sector businesses to allow these communities to reach their full economic and social potential.

If you have any questions or to let us know that you’ve received a response from or secured a meeting with your Parliamentary Candidates, please contact GeneralElection@bha.org.uk

click here for Placard click here for Fact Sheet

RESOURCES

You could also Tweet your Parliamentary candidate using the suggested Tweets below:

At the #GE2017 @BHAtweets is calling for: @CutTourismVAT, evidence-based #immigration targets & NI relief for under 25s. #StandWithBHA

At the #GE2017 encourage your candidates to support @CutTourismVAT. #UK pays double compared with other European countries! #StandWithBHA

.@BHAtweets I’ve written to [insert @candidates’ Twitter handle] requesting a meeting to discuss the needs of the #hospitality industry at this election #StandWithBHA

I met with [insert @candidate twitter handle] today who agreed to support @CutTourismVAT if elected as MP for [insert constituency name] #StandWithBHA [attach picture of candidate with placard]

[insert @candidates’ Twitter handles] as a local business owner I want to know if you will support @CutTourismVAT if elected MP for [insert constituency name] #StandWithBHA

My business relies on UK & EU workers. I want to ensure EU workers rights' currently living in the UK are protected #StandWithBHA #GE2017

The @BHAtweets has formed a 10 year phased approach that will introduce more #UK workers into the #hospitality industry. #StandWithBHA

I met with [insert @candidate twitter handle] to discuss the importance of EU workers to my business & the greater UK hospitality & tourism industry. #StandWithBHA

We need to make sure we continue to welcome hard working #EU workers into our businesses post Brexit #GE2017 #StandWithBHA

I’m calling on my [insert @candidates’ twitter handle] to guarantee the rights of EU workers currently living in the UK #StandWithBHA

I spoke with [insert @candidate twitter handle] about introducing regulations for Home Sharing platforms. There needs to be a level playing field. #StandWithBHA

I spoke with [insert @candidate twitter handle] about the detrimental effects a bed tax would have on the #hospitality industry. #GE2017 #StandWithBHA

This #GE2017 needs to encourage younger UK workers to think about starting a meaningful career in the #hospitality industry #StandWithBHA

I’m calling on my [insert @candidates’ twitter handle] to work with govt to help [insert constituency name] reach its full economic & social potential #StandWithBHA

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While we have made every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this document, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. Any reliance placed on the content is therefore at the reader’s own risk. This report can be downloaded in PDF format from www.bha.org.uk.

British Hospitality Association | Augustine House, 6a Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HA

www.bha.org.uk | +44 (0)207 404 7744 | bha@bha.org.uk |  @BHAtweets