House of Commons

Minister for Hospitality Enters Parliamentary Debate Schedule 2021 | Eater London

"Following a petition that gathered the 100,000 signatures needed to force a parliamentary debate, MPs will discuss on 11 January 2021 whether to create a dedicated ministerial role for hospitality. The brief petition—simply demanding “Create a Minister for Hospitality in the UK Government”—garnered broad support across the restaurant world after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the relative political powerlessness of a £130 billion sector. While the trade association U.K. Hospitality can exert influence via the media and by giving evidence to parliamentary committees, restaurants, pubs, cafés and bars currently lack a direct government representative; alternate voices have been limited and sometimes rely on incomplete Public Health England data to claim “it’s not happening in hospitality.” Industry figures such as Asma Khan have criticized the sector’s spokespeople as neither inclusive nor diverse, with televised representatives often coming from large groups and chains, and campaigners including Angela Hartnett and the Seat at the Table initiative argue there is no single area of government to which the sector can coherently direct complaints or policy suggestions." - James Hansen