Restaurants across the UK are preparing to lower prices on their menus as the government temporarily reduces sector VAT by more than £4 billion.
For a six-month period, VAT will be trimmed on meals, accommodation and attractions – diving from 20 to 5per cent.
This will enable the hospitality sector to lower prices and subsequently attract more customers.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the VAT amendments in July, along with an “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme that entitles customers to 50 per cent off (up to £10 per head) at participating venues.
VAT (Value Added Tax) is paid on goods and services – but is often already included as part of the advertised price.
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The government is hoping that these short-term changes will help to reboot the economy.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants were forced to close for the best part of three months when COVID-19 gripped the country, surviving solely on takeaway services.
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However, with lower VAT in place, some of the bigger chains are in a position to lower the prices of their hot food and drink for a temporary period.
Here are the brands who’ve already confirmed they’ll be offering discounts from today (15 July).
KFC
KFC UK & Ireland
KFC was quick off the mark to announce some price cuts in the wake of new VAT rates.
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Earlier this week, the fried chicken chain confirmed on Twitter they’d be serving half-price boneless buckets and shaving a few quid here and there off other ‘fan favourites’.
“It’s welcome news,” said a spokesperson.
“Equally, our fans have been amazing over the past few months, so we are rolling out price reductions across our menu too.”
It’s worth noting, however, that whilst the low VAT rates are around until January, this special offer is not.
£4.99 boneless buckets are only available from today (15 July) to Sunday (19 July).
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KFC has, however, promised more “fantastic deals” in the coming weeks.
McDonald’s
Wikimedia Commons
McDonald’s is asking its UK franchisees to trim prices on various items in the wake of the VAT cut.
The Golden Arches is recommending that its restauranteurs apply discounts to breakfast and coffee, as well as popular classics like the Big Mac, the Quarter Pounder and Chicken Nuggets.
Extra Value Meals could see 40p reductions, with customers also set to enjoy 30p off Happy Meals and 50p off morning meals.
Many McDonald’s venues are still operating limited menus around the UK, with the gradual reintroduction of seasonal/exclusive items being added over time.
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Nando’s
Pixabay
Nando’s has also jumped on the bandwagon and promised to offers discounts for customers – but not just on a few select items.
Nope. The South African restaurant is passing on VAT savings across its whole menu (except items that don’t qualify, like alcohol and cold food) for eat-in, delivery and click and collect.
So, from today (15 July), you can order a Nando’s and enjoy bigger savings on the bill than ever before.
On a quarter chicken, for example, you’ll pay 55p less.
Global coffee chain Pret also piped up on Twitter this morning (16 July) to confirm they’d be cutting prices across their menu in the coming days.
As of yet, there’s no confirmation as to which items will be subject to discounts, but coffee and hot food could be candidates.
Pret wrote on social media: “We’re passing back temporary VAT savings to our lovely customers.
“So over the next few days, you’ll notice lower prices on your favourite coffees, hot food and a few other treats.
“Cheers!”
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We're passing back temporary VAT savings to our lovely customers. So over the next few days, you’ll notice lower prices on your favourite coffees, hot food and a few other treats. Cheers! pic.twitter.com/lLWlulUdHt
Starbucks, too, has gotten in on the act and elected to lower the cost of coffee for customers from July.
The coffee chain announced on Tuesday that they’ll be passing on the full VAT discount in company-operated stores, meaning customers will get to enjoy lower prices.
The discounts will apparently be applied to drinks and hot meals.
Other venues with Starbucks licenses are being left to choose where to offer discounts; so certain prices may remain standard in some premises.
News
NHS to begin offering new one-minute jab to women with ‘aggressive’ form of cancer
Emily Sergeant
The NHS is set to begin offering new immunotherapy for hundreds of women with aggressive cervical cancer across the country.
Pembrolizumab – which experts have described as being able to ‘take the handbrake off’ the body’s immune system to target cancer – will now be presented as a new treatment option for women in England with locally-advanced cervical cancer, which means the cancer has grown beyond the cervix to regions such as the pelvic wall, but not yet spread further around the body.
Trials found that adding pembrolizumab to standard chemoradiotherapy helped keep cancer ‘at bay’ for longer, and improved survival rates overall.
Two years after starting the treatment, nearly seven in 10 patients (68%) were still living without their cancer progressing, compared with 57% for those receiving chemoradiotherapy alone, according to NHS figures.
The trial also found that 82.6% of patients were still alive three years after treatment with pembrolizumab and chemoradiotherapy, compared with 74.8% with chemoradiotherapy alone.
Hundreds of women with aggressive cervical cancer are to be offered a new immunotherapy treatment.
It marks one of the biggest improvements in treatment for the disease in years, and could help more women survive and stay cancer-free in the long term.
The drug is either given every three or siz weeks via an infusion, or as a ‘one-minute’ injection, alongside chemoradiotherapy.
The NHS estimates around 550 patients in England will be eligible for the treatment – which has been approved this week by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – over the next two years.
Patients will now receive fast-tracked access, funded by NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund.
“This is great news for women facing a diagnosis of aggressive cervical cancer, and represents one of the biggest improvements in treatment for this disease in recent years,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is the NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer.
“Combining this immunotherapy with existing treatment has had very positive effect for patients in trials, helping the body’s immune system to target cancer more effectively.
“We’re delighted it will be available for patients on the NHS as it could help hundreds more women survive and stay cancer-free in the long-term.”
Featured Image – NappyStudio (via Unsplash)
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Andy Burnham wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has set out his vision for the country if he is to become Prime Minister.
In case you need brining up to speed first, after it was announced earlier this month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
And this week, Mr Burnham has now delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to give the country a ‘new direction’.
Burnham says that he wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster.
A lot has been discussed and reported on when it comes to Burnham’s intentions to create a so-called Number 10 North here in Manchester, but what exactly does it mean to take the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to the capital?
“The Greater Manchester way is based on strong partnership between all sectors: public, private, community, voluntary, academic, faith, and our trade unions,” Burnham said in his speech.
He continued: “When I started as Mayor in 2017, we set about building a new approach, a new politics based on the exact opposite of the Westminster approach.
“Place-first, not party-first. Problem-solving, not point-scoring. Long-term, not short-term.
“A decade on, it’s incredible how much we’ve been able to achieve by working together instead of fighting against one another.”
Burnham said he feels the truth is that the country spends ‘too much time arguing and not enough time doing’ and that for Britain to get back where it ‘should be’, his Government would ask everyone to ‘face the same way’ and then ‘pull in that same direction together’.
He declared that No 10 North will be the ‘nerve centre’ for a rewired Britain.
“It will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK,” he concluded. “It will coordinate all parts of Government, at national and local level, to agree a long-term economic strategy and help all places set new growth ambitions.”
The Manc -
15th July 2020 
