Shadow minister Seema Malhotra has praised the “huge contribution” the hospitality sector makes to communities and to the economy, while promising a Labour government will be “on your side” and back the sector.

Appearing at the UKHospitality Summer Conference as Labour released its election manifesto, Malhotra said the commitments recognise the party has “plan to rebuild Britain” and a “strong sense of direction” and the change needed.

Malhotra said Labour would be “pro-worker and pro-business” and work in partnership with the sector to help regenerate communities.

She highlighted Labour’s plan to reform business, and level the playing field between high street businesses and online retailers, update the planning system, improve skills with a new apprenticeship levy, and tackle zero hours contracts.

On business rates she said: “Our manifesto today commits to raise the same revenue by rebalancing in a fair way and levelling the playing field between our high street shops and the online giants.

“We don’t believe that you should be penalised for keeping our high streets alive. In fact, we want to encourage you to do it.

“Reforming the business rate system will help for your hospitality businesses to invest more in your services, your staff and your contribution to our local areas.”

Labour will update the “outdated planning system”, which has been “holding back firms from opening new premises”, she said.

Labour will “breathe new life” into high streets by giving communities new powers to buy empty units, so they are no longer “blighted by unsightly boarded up shops”.

Boosting skills will be a “national mission” for Labour led by a new body Skills England.

The party will reform the “broken” apprenticeships levy, giving businesses the flexibility to train their workforce by allowing up to 50% of the levy to be used on a greater range of training courses.

If elected in July, Labour we will ban “exploitative” zero hours contracts and the practice of fire and rehire, deliver a “genuine living wage” by reforming the remit of the Low Pay Commission to also account for the cost of living, and end the unfair age bands for those over 80.

Malhotra said the last 14 years of the Tory government, had failed the sector with the worst decade for growth in two centuries and endless crises.

She said: “British businesses deserve better. Labour is pro-worker and pro-business and in government we want to work in partnership to deliver the growth and the investment in the economy of the future partnership between government and industry.

“The reason for that is simple. We know that a Labour Government will need British business to be thriving, growing and investing if we are to achieve any of our goals in government, whether that’s making all parts of our country better off tackling the climate crisis or addressing barriers to opportunity.

“Businesses input is crucial. This election campaign has also laid bare the fact that the Tories have run out of ideas and are unable to deliver the change that this country badly needs.”

The shadow skills and FE minister said the last few years have been some of the “hardest that you have ever had to face”.

“No other sector is so intimately entwined with our lives, its ups and its downs,” she said.

“You have shown incredible resilience and that’s because you are not just businesses, you are the beating heart of our communities, our high streets, our towns and cities.

“Your economic contribution is immense…. But customers don’t necessarily remember you for your financial achievements. They remember you for the smile of your staff. They remember you for keeping the high street alive with a place to drink, to eat, to stay and enjoy a place to connect with others, the place around which a community can be built.

“And your employees don’t remember you for your contribution to GDP. They remember you for providing them with invaluable skills and experience indeed, I’m sure that many of you in this room also had your first job in the hospitality sector.”

She insisted a Labour government would be “on your side”.

“Growth facilitates all of that and that’s why I’m so glad that under Kier Starmer, we have made growth and supporting all of our businesses, a central mission of the next Labour government.

“Our promise to you is partnership. We want to work with you. We want to make sure that your vital industry with a true social purpose is able to succeed and to grow.”