Adam Dance MP brings local businesses together following the Budget as frustration grows over lack of support

Adam Dance MP brought local business owners together at the Lanes Hotel on Monday morning to discuss the Chancellor’s Budget and what it means for South Somerset’s economy.

Opening the discussion, Shaun Whitehouse, Owner of the Lanes Hotel, spoke frankly about the reality for the hospitality sector. He said:

“Our sector is one of the largest private sector employers in the country. We animate high streets, drive tourism, and create first jobs, second careers and lifelong professions. We contribute billions in tax while operating on some of the tightest margins in the British economy. And yet, this Budget treats us as if none of that matters.

“It offers virtually nothing for a sector still absorbing higher energy costs, wage pressures and supply chain inflation. Despite being one of the fastest routes to unlocking local growth, hospitality has once again been left to fend for itself.”

Shaun described clear failings in the Budget including rising business rates despite promises of relief, the refusal to introduce targeted VAT support for hospitality, and the lack of any plan to address workforce shortages. He closed by saying:

“At a time when hospitality is fighting to survive, innovate and invest, we have been met not with partnership but with indifference. Our anger is fuel for constructive change, and we are grateful to those – like the Liberal Democrats – who continue to advocate for fair VAT rates, real business rates reform and a framework that lets hospitality grow rather than merely endure.”

Speaking after the meeting, Adam Dance MP said:

“This Budget was a wasted opportunity. Local businesses needed stability, a proper plan for growth and real support. Instead, they got chaos, confusion and higher taxes. As the Liberal Democrats have said, this was a botched Budget delivered by a Chancellor who has diagnosed the disease but refuses to offer the cure.

“People here are working hard to keep their businesses going, yet the government is pushing them to breaking point with rising costs, unfair tax rises and constant uncertainty. I will keep taking their concerns back to Parliament and fighting for a fairer deal for our rural communities and small businesses.”

Attendees from sectors including construction, care, retail, farming, education and manufacturing described similar pressures. Many are facing sharply rising wage bills, high energy charges, difficulties in recruitment and retention, falling consumer confidence and squeezed margins. Some reported business rates increases of more than one hundred percent in the past year. Care providers spoke about being unable to set their own charges while trying to recruit specialist staff. Farmers warned that changes to family farm tax risk pushing many to the brink. Manufacturers raised issues with soaring energy standing charges, waste costs and the fear of losing work overseas.

Across the board, businesses called for stability, fairness and a government that understands the realities of running a small enterprise. Instead, they described a system that is unpredictable, unsupportive and increasingly unworkable.

Adam added:

“People in Somerset want a government that backs small businesses, supports family farms, strengthens our place in Europe and delivers a clear, honest plan for growth. This Budget does none of that. I will continue standing up for our communities and pushing for the fair and stable economic strategy we urgently need.”