London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

New job support 'not adequate' for London businesses say West End landlords

New job support 'not adequate' for London businesses say West End landlords

From November, under Tier 2, workers will have to do at least 20 per cent of their hours to get 73 per cent of their normal wages

One of the West End’s biggest landowners fears businesses are still “doomed” this winter, despite new help announced today by the Government.

Soho Estates managing director John James also called on the Government to end the 10pm curfew and allow households to mix, in order to “save” businesses this winter.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak today (October 21) updated the Job Support Scheme, designed to help hospitality and leisure businesses in Tier 2 areas such as London.

Currently, under Tier 3, the Government will pay 67 per cent of workers’ wages and the employer won’t pay anything. So the employee gets a 67 per cent wage.


John James, managing director of Soho Estates, says the Government needs to offer more to support West End businesses. Image provided by Soho Estates


From November, under Tier 2, workers will have to do at least 20 per cent of their hours to get 73 per cent of their normal wages. The employer would pay 24 per cent of their wage and the Government would pay 49 per cent.

This replaces the furlough scheme, which this month has seen the Government pay 60 per cent of employees’ wages, and the employer pay 20 per cent. But staff aren’t allowed to work.

Mr Sunak also announced cash grants of up to £2,100 a month for firms in Tier 2 areas, which could also be claimed retrospectively for August and September. These will be distributed by local councils.

The news was welcomed by parts of the hospitality industry in other parts of the country.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, which represents the sector, called it a “generous package of support, which will make a huge difference in safeguarding hospitality jobs”.

But Mr James, whose company owns 22 restaurant units in Greek Street, Old Compton Street, Frith Street and Dean Street, called the Chancellor’s announcement “not adequate”.

He said: “The furlough scheme, the VAT break and Eat Out to Help Out saved a lot of jobs, they were a godsend for restaurants. And with the al fresco dining, Soho became a business centre again.

“But elsewhere in central London it’s still desolate. If the Chancellor gives a business £2,100 as a grant per month, I’m afraid that goes so little of a way to help businesses in Soho. I never know how they get to these amounts of money.

“The Job Support Scheme is not adequate. But what would be more adequate is stopping the curfew [10pm]. Groups of six are not going to stay outside when the weather is cold, and people from one household aren’t going to go out to Soho.”


Asher Grant, co-owner of Reign Nightclub In Piccadilly Circus. Image provided by Mr Grant


Meanwhile, Asher Grant, co-owner of REIGN nightclub in Piccadilly Circus, said the new funding would be a “drop in the ocean” for nightclubs.

As a member of a new campaign #SaveNightclubs, Mr Grant said: “[It] doesn’t even begin to tackle the £100,000s nightclubs and late night venues have had to pay out in rent and ongoing costs... We need real support packages that will save business and millions of jobs.”

Soho Estates also owns the premises in Leicester Square of Burger King, Pizza Hut and Garfunkel’s, as well as two night clubs and several other units.

Mr James added: “Leicester Square is very mixed-use and was all about tourists. Very sadly, it’s doomed.”

Nickie Aiken, MP for City of London and Westminster, which includes the West End, said the Chancellor’s announcement was “welcome news” for businesses.

She tweeted: “Welcome news for businesses in my constituency. I have lobbied for more support particularly for restaurants, bars and cafes who are finding it so tough at present.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×