FOUR JD Wetherspoon pubs in Brighton and Hove are set to slash their prices to highlight the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction.

Prices at The Bright Helm in West Street, The Post and Telegraph in North Street and The West Quay in Brighton Marina Village, as well as The Cliftonville Inn in George Street, Hove, will be reduced for one day only to mark Tax Equality Day in the Wetherspoon pubs.

On Thursday, September 23, all food and drink will be cut by 7.5 per cent.

It means a pint of beer costing £1.99 will be reduced to £1.84 and a traditional breakfast costing £3.59 will cost £3.32 on the day.

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 in July 2020.

However, this will change on October 1, when the VAT rate will rise to 12.5 per cent, with the government's aim of returning VAT to 20 per cent, in stages, in 2022.

The Post and Telegraph manager, Matthew Scott, said: "It is unfair that supermarkets pay zero VAT on food, but pubs and restaurants, in normal circumstances, pay 20 per cent.

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

"Customers coming to The Post and Telegraph on Thursday, September 23 will find the price of their food and drink is lower than normal.

"However, as a result of the VAT increase to 12.5 per cent on October 1, we will have to increase food prices.

"Therefore, on Wednesday September 29, we will increase prices on our meals by 50p.

"We urge the chancellor to create tax equality between pubs and supermarkets by making the current VAT regime for pubs permanent."