Hospitality firms are warning that up to 35,000 jobs could be at risk in Hampshire following the government's latest budget.

Pub, club and festival owners have penned a joint open letter urging a group of Hampshire MPs to take action against the policies laid out in the government's latest budget.

Addressed to the regions MPs - Darren Paffey, Satvir Kaur, Paul Holmes, Caroline Nokes, Danny Chambers and Jess Brown-Fuller - the letter says that the budget places an "unprecedented financial strain" on businesses in the hospitality sector, particularly those of a small and medium size.

The letter adds that the hospitality sector in the MP's constituencies contributes £949,442,733 to the economy (according to figures compiled by UK Hospitality), employs 35,449 people, and operates 1,993 establishments, all of which are at risk from this budget.

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The government has been under significant pressure after announcing last year it would increase employer contributions on national insurance.

The changes come into effect from April.

The letter says: "We are local businesses - small and medium-sized enterprises - that have been built and nurtured over many years.

"These are our businesses, the ones we work in every day, investing time, energy, and passion to serve our communities. Unlike large corporations, we cannot simply absorb these cost increases.

"Many of us will not survive, not due to mismanagement, but as a direct result of government policy.

"The decisions made in this budget risk dismantling the very fabric of our local high streets and economies."

The letter urges MPs to reform National Insurance, reduce VAT on food for hospitality, phase any changes over three to five years instead of all at once, and maintain the current business rates.

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The letter is signed by Matthew Boyle and Oliver Weeks of Ideal Collection, Steve Hughes of the Mustang Group, Gary Betetton of the Orange Rooms, Playing the Field Festival and Oktoberfest Southampton, Jayne Gillin of The Little Pub Group, Piers Kannangara and Tom Dyer of Heartbreakers, Papillon and more, and Neil Homer of Good Things.

The letter ends with an invitation to a cross-party roundtable discussion on its proposals to "ensure that government policy supports businesses rather than unintentionally placing them at risk".