How deep is your love?', Wetherspoon asks punters

JD Wetherspoon accused rising pint prices in pubs of widening the gap versus supermarkets, urging customers to keep supporting local pubs despite higher costs. Chairman Sir Tim Martin said both Conservative and Labour governments have worsened the disparity by pushing up labour expenses. Wetherspoon claimed labour costs for every pub pint are £1.68, while the average pint price in May was £5.34, compared with £1.30–£1.50 in supermarkets, where labour accounts for about 15p. It said higher minimum wages and employer national insurance contributions have raised prices and cost jobs. Wetherspoon had backed a push to halve hospitality VAT to 10%, but the Chancellor instead raised beer duty by 2p per pint. Still, sales grew 9.9% in September.