Hoteliers in Bristol hope this month’s budget – coming the day before Hallowe'en – is not the stuff of nightmares for struggling hospitality businesses.

During the summer Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned that Labour’s first budget since coming to power in July would be “painful” due to his government inheriting an ‘economic black hole’, claiming the Conservative Party had created a £22bn gap in public finances.

Members of the Bristol Hoteliers Association (BHA) are now anxiously awaiting the October 30 budget while keeping their collective fingers crossed that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be able to give them something to smile about.

BHA Chair Raphael Herzog said: “In last year’s autumn statement and the spring budget in April, we felt very let down by the continued lack of support for the hospitality sector.

“In their manifesto, Labour promised to reform the business rates system in England and we are behind UK Hospitality, who are calling for the new Government to deliver on that pledge.

“Business rates reliefs end next April as things stand which will mean businesses having to pay full rates, which effectively means their business rates bills could quadruple.

“UK Hospitality has proposed a new, lower, permanent and universal business rates multiplier for the sector, which will provide more business certainty and stability, rather than the uncertain annual reliefs currently in place.

“This means businesses will have a more realistic idea of the bills they are facing.

“From what has been said in the run-up to the budget, I am not getting my hopes up too much, but we would still like to see VAT in the hospitality sector reduced to 12.5%.

“This is something that the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hospitality and Tourism backed earlier this year.

“We have one of the highest rates of VAT in Europe. A reduction would make us more competitive with the continent and will make our services more affordable to the public.

“We’ve not had a particularly good summer and while I appreciate the Government has said this budget will be painful for many, I really hope that it contains something for us to smile about."

Bristol hoteliers hope 'Hallowe'en budget' is not the stuff of nightmares