Wetherspoon pubs will cut the price of food and drink by 7.5% on Thursday, 18 September as part of a nationwide campaign to highlight the benefits of a permanent VAT reduction in hospitality.

The one-day event, known as Tax Equality Day, will see prices temporarily lowered across all Wetherspoon pubs, including The William Webb Ellis on London Road.

In Scotland, due to licensing laws, the discount will apply to food and non-alcoholic drinks only.

It means that on the day, a meal and drink costing £10 will instead come to £9.25.

Currently, pubs, bars and restaurants pay 20% VAT on all food and drink sales, while supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, enabling them to sell alcohol at lower prices.

Punters at The William Webb Ellis Wetherspoon will save money for only one day (credit: Cesar Medina).

Wetherspoon's founder and chairman, Tim Martin, said the price cut is designed to show how much difference a VAT reduction could make to customers and the wider industry.

"The biggest threat to the hospitality industry is the vast disparity in tax treatment among pubs, restaurants and supermarkets," he said.

"Supermarkets pay zero VAT in respect of food sales, whereas pubs, bars and restaurants pay 20 per cent. This tax benefit allows supermarkets to subsidise the selling price of beer.

"Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades because of this imbalance. It doesn't make sense for the hospitality industry to subsidise supermarkets.

"A VAT cut to 12.5 per cent is needed to ensure that pubs, bars and restaurants do not continue to close, but instead thrive, invest and create new jobs."

Martin added that customers visiting Wetherspoon pubs on 18 September will "find the price of their food and drinks to be lower than normal" and called on the Chancellor to "create tax equality between the hospitality industry and supermarkets."

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