By Emily Hawkins JD Wetherspoon’s chair has called on ministers to slash VAT for pubs and make the taxes “fair and equitable” between retail and hospitality. The budget pub chain is to cut the price of food and drink in its venues by 7.5 per cent on Thursday this week, in a call for a return to the pandemic 12.5 per cent level. VAT for hospitality venues was reduced to five per cent during the pandemic and gradually increased back to its normal rate. The rate was lifted from 12.5 per cent to 20 per cent in April, despite industry chiefs calling for a longer reduction to help businesses as they…