Hospitality Sector

Anna Gelderd Excerpts

Tuesday 1st July 2025 Westminster Hall

[Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I thank the hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood) for securing this important debate.

For many in this Chamber, I imagine that the first thing that comes to mind when I mention Cornwall is our world-leading beaches, our coastal villages and our incredible hotels and restaurants. Tourism is a key part of our local economy, and our wide range of hospitality venues, powered by hard-working, often local staff, are what make that offer possible. In South East Cornwall, hospitality supports many local families and households, but the work is often seasonal, unreliable and involves unsociable hours. It can be a difficult way to make a living and the difficulty is compounded by an affordable housing crisis in Cornwall. I welcome the Government’s efforts to fix that.

We need more first homes for local families. Alongside my Cornish colleague and hon. Friend the Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham), I look forward to a strategic place partnership for homes in Cornwall. That is why I welcome the Government’s efforts to improve employment rights in the hospitality sector. The Employment Rights Bill, currently progressing through the other place, tackles exploitative zero-hours contracts and one-sided flexibility, and ensures day one rights.

There is more we can do to support a modern, vibrant hospitality sector—one that reflects Cornwall’s rich heritage and unique position. Our venues celebrate Cornish-grown and Cornish-made products through local food, local art and Cornish talent. That helps our communities, strengthens our economy and builds pride in place, but we need more year-round employment, as residents need that security and are often left struggling in the off-season, and align education and training with actual local job opportunities. Cornwall has so much to offer, which is reflected in the number of visitors we attract each year, but we need a strong system that supports and improves our communities and welcomes visitors.

We have so many brilliant local businesses, such as the Finnygook Inn in Crafthole. The pub, which I know well, employs local people, supports regional producers and offers a warm welcome to all. Like many other pubs, the Finny plays an essential role in the fabric of my local community but, like others in the sector, it is struggling under the pressure of high VAT rates, and the UK’s hospitality rate is higher than that in many other countries. For venues that focus on fresh, home-cooked meals, VAT recovery is limited, which creates a real financial strain. That issue was raised during the pandemic.

I ask the Minister: what support is available for vital businesses like the Finnygook Inn, and how are the Government working to deliver more sustainable solutions that reflect the value that these venues bring to our economy, and to the life and wellbeing of our communities? I know just how important this topic is to businesses and communities across South East Cornwall.

Local Post Offices

Anna Gelderd Excerpts

Thursday 30th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Anna Gelderd (South East Cornwall) (Lab)]

I am grateful to the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington (Gideon Amos) for securing today’s debate. This is an important issue for constituencies across the UK, as has been highlighted by contributions from all parts of the House, but it is a particular concern to constituencies like South East Cornwall, which faces the potential closure of our Liskeard post office. If that were to go ahead, it would not just be the loss of a shop; it would be the loss of a vital service at the heart of our community. As the daughter of a postman, I know just what a hard and important job it is that they do.

For many people in rural areas like mine, the post office is more than a place to send letters; with the loss of high street banks leaving only one provider, the post office has become a financial lifeline, ensuring that residents—especially older residents or those without online banking—and small businesses can access cash and essential services without having to travel for miles. Without a clear alternative in place, that represents a real challenge. For many in rural areas like mine, reaching the next nearest branch is simply not practical. If these closures continue, we must ensure that further banking hubs are established so that rural communities are not left behind.

Driving growth is a key aim of this Government and I welcomed the £28 million investment in Cornwall outlined in the Chancellor’s statement yesterday. Long-term growth cannot happen without the basic services that underpin our local economies, and Labour was elected across the UK in rural, coastal and urban areas alike because people want practical solutions after 14 years of decline. They want to ensure that communities are not cut off from essential services, and I look forward to working with our Government to achieve that.

My goal is to make the lives of local residents in South East Cornwall easier and more prosperous. That means protecting local services, ensuring accountability and delivering real opportunities for growth in towns like Liskeard. I urge the Government to ensure that rural communities are not left stranded and to guarantee access to essential banking and post office services, as I am sure they will.