Today, Andrew Bridgen MP lobbied the Prime Minister to provide urgent clarity and financial support for the wedding industry.
The wedding industry contributes £14.7 bn to the UK economy every year. However due to the thousands of weddings that have been cancelled since the pandemic, 400,000 jobs and 60,000 businesses are now at risk.
The demographic of the wedding industry is unique: largely female-led, with lots of small and micro-businesses. However, these once flourishing entrepreneurs are now struggling for survival and they are asking for the Government to give them clarity on when their businesses can reopen. What About Weddings has been campaigning for the inclusion of the wedding industry when the Prime Minister announces the roadmap for lifting lockdown restriction on 22nd February. The group is calling for clarity on when the sector can fully reopen and seeking assurances that more than 50 guests will be allowed to attend each wedding.
What About Weddings is also calling on the Government to support the wedding businesses facing financial hardship by urging the Chancellor to provide a sector-specific cash injection, which will enable businesses to claim cash grants of up to £10,000. The group is also calling on the Chancellor to extend the temporary VAT reduction and the business rates exemption to the wedding industry.
Andrew Bridgen MP said: “I have written to the Prime Minister calling on his Government to establish a clear timeline for the wedding industry to open safely, urging him to include the sector in the upcoming 22nd February roadmap announcement. Clarity from the Government is key for consumer and business confidence, especially after months of uncertainty.
"While we hope many people will return to work once weddings can get underway, many businesses are facing extreme financial hardship right now. That is why I am urging the Chancellor to provide the wedding industry with an urgent financial support package to keep businesses afloat.”