FOUR pubs in the area are to cut the price of all food and drink by 7.5 per cent on Thursday September 24.

The Myrtle Grove in Main Street, Bingley, The Turls Green in Centenary Square, Bradford, The Obediah Brooke in Bradford Road, Cleckheaton and the Sir Norman Rae in Market Square, Shipley are supporting Tax Equality Day, aimed at highlighting the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry.

Prices at the Wetherspoon pubs will be reduced for one day only.

At present all food and drink in pubs is subject to five per cent VAT as a result of the VAT cut by the Chancellor on 15 July.

However, this is only set to continue until 12 January 2021, when it will return to 20 per cent.

By comparison supermarkets benefit from a zero VAT rate on all food.

As a result, supermarkets are able to use that saving to sell alcohol at a discounted price.

The Myrtle Grove manager, Ang Slater, said: "We are proud to support the campaign to reduce the level of VAT within the hospitality industry.

"Customers coming to the pubs on Thursday September 24 will find the price of their food and drink is lower than normal.

"Pubs have been under fantastic pressure for decades due to the tax disadvantages we have with supermarkets.

"We're very grateful to the Chancellor for reducing the tax disparity between supermarkets and pubs to five per cent.

"We are urging the Chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets by making the current VAT regime for pub food and soft drinks permanent.

"This move will make pubs, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants more competitive against supermarkets.

"Permanent tax equality will result in far more investment in high streets and it will bring more tax for the government from the extra investment and increased jobs."