Reilley told The Telegraph he stepped down from the HSC after warning that the Government’s Budget policies, including the rise in employer National Insurance contributions (NICs), was ‘condemning high streets and town centres and consigning them to the trash’.
“I was critical of the Government, which they didn’t like because their view is ‘well hang on, you’re on the inside now and you can’t be publicly criticising what the Government is doing’,” he said.
“Well, I’m going to publicly criticise when I feel that criticism is justified, and so I took the view that I wasn’t prepared to stop speaking my mind.
“The feeling has always been – certainly in any interaction I’ve ever had with anyone in government – that you’re not even speaking to a person that’s in the same building, let alone then the same room as the decision makers.”
Reilley joined the HSC earlier this year to lead a group focusing on regenerating Britain’s struggling high streets.
He added that while he still supports the HSC and his fellow hospitality bosses, he does not think the Labour Government is taking business leaders’ concerns seriously.
“We’re seeing more and more single site operators throwing in the towel, but also restaurant groups and pub groups going through a process of restructuring, which is seeing premises closed and jobs lost.
“Without wishing to sound like the merchant of doom, I think this is just the start.”
In a statement, a government spokesperson said: “Mr Reilley’s departure from the council was mutually agreed.
“We work closely with the Hospitality Sector Council to ensure the views of industry are heard as we revitalise the sector.
“We’ll continue to listen to industry leaders as we take bold action to renew our high streets in the Plan for Change, increasing access to finance and taking tough action on late payments, speeding up licensing reforms to slash red tape and boost growth, as well as bringing in permanently lower business rates for hospitality businesses.”
The HSC was launched in 2021 under the previous Conservative Government.
The council is co-chaired by the Minister for Hospitality, Gareth Thomas, and hospitality leader Karen Jones.