The commentary around the VAT cut to hospitality and whether it should include McDonald’s has been drenched with class snobbery and outright socialist nonsense. McDonald’s got the VAT cut in the budget. Good.
This tweet from the Social Democrats (a bunch of absolute morons) was typical.
“Budgets are about choices – and the choice by this government couldn’t be any clearer. Budget 2026 is a giveaway for property developers and the owners of fast food chains. At the expense of struggling individuals and families. Shameful.”
For someone who spends much of her time criticising both Americana and the danger of ultra processed foods I am now going to explain why if you are going to have a VAT cut to hospitality it should of course include McDonald’s. Call it hypocrisy, call it gluttony, I call it a quarter pounder with cheese and it’s absolutely delicious.
There is nothing inherently wrong or immoral about McDonald’s. The Perrins children, if I am honest, have probably spent more time there than is truly healthy. The Social Democrats when not dressing up in black face like to think they are on the side of ‘struggling families.’ Aren’t we all? Cut the stupid carbon tax or income tax then. Give a bigger increase to child benefit. That would help struggling families.
The point lost on the champagne socialists is that McDonald’s is often the only place that ‘struggling families’ can enjoy a meal out together. I know this because I see them there when I am out and we are not struggling. I still like McDonald’s though.
The McDonald’s in Drogheda is perfectly nice and we go to Balbriggan McDonald’s before the panto in DCU. When we lived in London, we did a lot of McDonald’s. We went after swimming on Sundays and usually when travelling to Holyhead to get the boat home. In fact when in Spain this summer just gone and I was starving after the plane journey and just before we arrived in Estepona we desperately needed food. And there they were: the ever reliable, ever glorious, the beautiful Golden Arches soaring above us on the motorway. We pulled over into that bad boy and had ourselves a feast. I always like the little differences in the McDonald’s when we go abroad (they are proper fancy in France). Everyone knows that I am a big believer in diversity is our strength.
In fact VAT on McDonald’s is tax on motherhood. Pretty much every half term in Bromley we would get the bus in, have a look around the shops, go to the library and finish off at McDonald’s. Now maybe this isn’t ‘fancy’ enough for the Social Democrats but that’s a whole day right there, more or less screen free. The children learn a lot on public transport and they learn a lot in McDonald’s. I always enjoyed it as I didn’t have to cook or clean up and I could talk to the children properly Even when they served my son the chicken burger with mouldy bread, that still didn’t put us off. That day we got the McFlurry for free. We were not allowed a refund on the burger with mouldy bread as we were told – I’m not kidding now – ‘he’d already eaten half of it.’ Exactly, I could have complained. But I didn’t want to make trouble for the hard pressed McDonald’s worker.
Which brings me to the other point. Employment. The Social Democrats would have you believe ‘owners of fast food chains’ are sort of bad people, unworthy of a VAT cut. Owners of fast food chains are just people who want to make a profit. In order to make a profit they provide to the public a service and goods which the consumer, in a capitalist economy, can choose to avail themselves of or not. It is a relationship based on consent (capitalism) and not coercion (communism.) Even the dopey social democrats must understand the difference.
There is nothing wrong with making a profit. Pretty much everyone seeks to make a profit in an honourable way. Those profits are then taxed so we can pay for the salaries of TDs such as the Social Democrats who do not make a profit. They rely on others to do that for them, and then skim off the top of their hard work. They call this “public service” which makes it sound honourable. Maybe it is in some cases, but often it is not. But I tell you now, it is no more honourable than the ‘owner of the fast food chains’ who make a profit.
I am not aware of any financial scandals involving these ‘owners of fast food chains.’ I do recall quite a few financial scandals involving Irish politicians. Owners of fast food chains also – and this is key – provide employment to other people, often members of ‘struggling families.’ These men and women seek to make a profit off which they will live, although admittedly much of it is taken in tax by the government. McDonald’s is also a big employer of young people giving them important life experience and skills. I’d say the average young employee of McDonald’s learns a lot more working there than they ever did doing their Leaving Certificate.
AI search tells me, ‘McDonald’s directly employed 8,880 people in Ireland as of 2023. This figure represents direct employment, and the company’s activities also supported an additional 1,605 indirect jobs in Ireland in 2023. McDonald’s generated €6.9 million for the local economy in County Wexford and supported 206 jobs. McDonald’s operates two restaurants in Wexford: one at the Gorey M11 Service Station and another at Drinagh Retail Park in Wexford Town.” That’s just Wexford. I was in the Gorey only a few months ago. John asked for a fork for his chicken nuggets. He did not take kindly to being told you have to eat with your hands. (If you want a knife and fork at McDonald’s, order the side salad.)
A quick word on how VAT works. Before you tell me, oh but Laura this VAT cut will not be passed on to the customer and therefore the Perrins family will still be paying close to 40 maybe 50 Euro to take all six of you out, I say, so what? Whatever way the ‘owner of fast food chains’ business people in search of a profit rejig their pricing is up to them. They must pass on the VAT charged to the government. The VAT charged by any enterprise is paid by the consumer and passed to the government. If you do not do this, dear reader, then expect a knock on the door from the Revenue and to be on the end of a fraud charge. VAT fraud cases are very lucrative for lawyers.
Where was I? Yes, McDonald’s is where mothers sometimes go for some respite. A break from the cooking and cleaning and the house in general. I remember once in my local one – West Wickham that has the fancy chesterfield sofas – I was there on a Sunday afternoon. I should have made a roast, blah blah blah, but for some reason I found myself at McDonald’s with the four children. Remember that scene in Sex in the City when Samantha is trying to pick up the hot waiter Smith at the vegan restaurant and she looks around at the end of the night and sees all the other single women trying to do the same?
(Above Samantha at fancy restaurant hitting on the hot waiter. Not present: Laura Perrins who is at McDonalds with her 4 children. Flip sake….)
Well I had the exact opposite experience. I was there in my meat filled restaurant and I took a good look around. And there we were, the mothers, tired and a bit cranky. We had clearly ‘had enough’ at home and were damned if we were going to cook that night. Even my eldest daughter noticed it. “There are only mothers with children here” she said. Yup I said. It’s the mothers club, not a hot waiter in sight.
So I will take my Vat cut, thank you very much and if it is not passed on I am more than happy for the ‘owners of fast food chains’ to take it instead. The economically illiterate snobs at the Social Democrats are just going to have to suck it up.