The Hospitality Party

Where We Come From. Why We’re Doing This.

We Come From Behind the Bar, Behind the Scenes, and Behind the Sound Desk

We’re not politicians. We’re promoters, publicans, chefs, creatives, servers, event organisers, DJs, baristas, and venue owners. We’re people who work unsociable hours so others can feel joy, connection and belonging. We make spaces where people fall in love, celebrate, dance, grieve, share, and argue over pints. And we’ve watched those spaces — and the people who care for them — get ignored, pushed aside, and priced out.

We come from hospitality. But we care about much more than bars and food. We care about what hospitality represents — a way of living that’s social, human, open and joyful.

So we started something new.

A movement. A party. A plan.

Why We’re Doing This

Because we’re tired of seeing the things that actually make communities work get pushed aside for things that don’t.

Because councils across the UK are bloated, slow, and stuck in the past — clinging to outdated strategies, commissioning consultants to tell them what they could learn by walking through town, and spending public money in all the wrong places.

Because too many local authorities are bankrupt — financially or morally — yet keep pretending everything’s fine.

Because every time a chain takes over another corner of a town, it chips away at the life and character that made people want to live there in the first place.

Because we’re becoming less social, less happy, less inspired, and less connected. And the people in charge seem more interested in managing decline than changing direction.

We’re doing this because we believe hospitality — and the people who keep it alive — deserve a seat at the table.

Our Values

We believe in:

Independence — real, local, community-led ideas
Simplicity — less red tape, more access
Transparency — no closed-door deals, no silent sellouts
Culture — not just the expensive kind, but the everyday kind: music, food, conversation, expression
Joy — the forgotten reason for public life

We want councils that reflect these values — and we’ll build that from the bottom up.

Starting From the Ground Up

We’re not looking for power for power’s sake. This isn’t about career politicians or ego. It’s about building something better by starting with what matters — people.

Our movement is rooted in doing, not waiting. We’re not here to chase headlines or shout from the sidelines. We’re here to create real change in real towns, by working with the people who already care.

We’re not tied to any traditional ideology.
We’re not Left. We’re not Right.
We’re Local. We’re Practical.
We’re Fed Up — and Fired Up.

Hospitality Is the Fabric of the Country

Think about the moments that matter in your life.

How many happened in a pub, a café, a venue, a park, a festival, a night out, a meal shared? That’s hospitality.

It’s where we connect. Where we’re seen. Where we’re not just consumers or workers — we’re people. It’s social infrastructure, and it’s crumbling.

Why isn’t it taken seriously by those in charge?

Because they don’t understand it.
Because corporate culture has taken over.
Because everything is about speed, efficiency, and margins.

The result? Town centres stripped of personality. Cafés replaced by coffee chains. Music venues bulldozed. Bars priced out. Creativity reduced to “activation strategies”.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Corporates Dominate. Independents Survive.

When decision-making is shaped by corporate values, everything becomes transactional.

Get them in.
Get them spending.
Get them out.

But hospitality isn’t about that. It’s about making space — not just for eating and drinking, but for living. That’s what’s being lost. That’s what we’re fighting for.

Why We’re Starting in Kirklees

We believe this movement can — and will — go nationwide. But we’re starting in Kirklees because it’s the clearest, most urgent example of everything we’re talking about.

Kirklees is full of incredible independent businesses, venues, artists and organisers. Huddersfield has one of the best independent live music scenes in the country. The local food and drink offer is rich. The creative energy is real.

But the council has failed to understand or support it.

Millions have gone to corporate developers and white elephant projects while the people keeping town alive have been shut out. The George Hotel was refurbished — but not for locals. Kingsgate was handed a multi-million-pound loan — while community-led businesses get wrapped in bureaucracy and ignored.

There’s a disconnect between what’s happening on the ground and the decisions being made behind closed doors.

We want to change that — here first, then everywhere.

We picked Kirklees because its people are already doing the work.
They just need a council that works with them, not against them.

This Is Just The Start

The Hospitality Party isn’t just about one election. It’s about a different way of thinking, living and building communities. If we prove it here — in Kirklees — we’ll prove it can be done anywhere.

This is where it begins.