The landlord of an East Hampshire pub has barred Labour MPs from entering his watering hole as frustration grows among the hospitality sector over rising costs.

Chris Skinner has been both praised and criticised after announcing online that The Trooper has joined the growing “No Labour MPs” movement.

But the landlord of the Froxfield hostelry insists he’s not anti-Labour and would ban MPs from any ruling party because of the harm caused to the industry by the current and previous governments.

“It’s not just Labour,” said Mr Skinner, who added the government earns more out of a pint than him.

“It wouldn’t matter what government was in power, be that the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats or Reform.

“It could be anyone, but it just happens to be a Labour government at the moment.

“They have the power to make positive changes to help this industry and that includes restaurants and hotels, but they haven’t.”

Numbers are rising all the time as more than 300 pubs, restaurants and hotels have joined the movement since its launch just over a week ago.

The Trooper Inn at Froxfield.

While the government insists the multibillion-pound support is coming to the industry, campaigners feel not enough is being done to ease the financial pressure they and the hospitality trade is facing because of VAT, business rates and rising utility costs.

Mr Skinner has not heard directly from any Labour politicians since joining the campaign, while some have criticised the landlord for not making a similar statement under previous Tory rule.

But he wasn’t at the Trooper Inn before Labour came to power, while he points to the support shown to a very famous publican in response.

He said: “I see a well-known celebrity pub landlord has done the same thing and he’s publicly lauded.

“He’s been praised because he’s a celebrity and public believe he’s doing the right thing.

“So why should Jeremy Clarkson get praised, but the common landlord of a run-of-the-mill pub be vilified for doing the same thing?

“I’ve not done it because he’s done it. It’s because a lot of other pubs are doing it, as well, because they believe the same thing.”