Wetherspoon boss: I’m not backing any political party this year

Sir Tim Martin, the JD Wetherspoon founder and chairman, has called last orders on all political parties at the general election, despite backing the Conservatives and Reform UK in the past.

Sir Tim is a prominent Brexiteer who gave £200,000 to the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 referendum.

He has also given cash to the Labour Leave pressure group and, days before the 2019 election, donated £50,000 to the Conservatives under Boris Johnson. He gave Reform £25,000 shortly after it was founded by Nigel Farage and Richard Tice in 2021.

But speaking to The Telegraph, Sir Tim said he would not be supporting any party at the election, adding: “For a number of years I donated to the Brexit Party, Reform and Labour Leave.

“I decided not to back any party in this general election, which was my approach in all general elections before the referendum. I have made no donations to political parties this year.”

His remarks suggest Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has failed to impress him after he appeared to lavish praise on the Labour leader last year.

Sir Tim, 69, had said he was “never a Conservative supporter” and had backed Mr Johnson because of his belief in Brexit, adding that he would vote for  Sir Keir if he put forward “a decent set of policies”.

He was knighted in the New Year Honours for services to businesses and hospitality after building JD Wetherspoon into a nationwide pub chain with more than 800 outlets.

The nomination – thought to have taken into account his support for Brexit – was hailed by Mr Farage, the leader of Reform, and Conservative politicians including Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

He has since described Brexit as a “vexed issue” and said “exaggerated claims” were made by both sides, but has stood by his support for Britain’s exit from the bloc.

Sir Tim emerged as a prominent lockdown sceptic in the early days of the Covid pandemic, warning that the hospitality industry had been left “on its knees” by social distancing laws.

Wetherspoon posted a rise in sales last month, with Sir Tim crediting a boom in demand for “fashionable” Guinness, which has enjoyed a rise in popularity, fuelled in part by social media trends.