Pubs and breweries call on Chancellor to do more to support the sector in upcoming Budget

Ahead of the Budget on 15^th March 2023, the Long Live the Local campaign is calling for the Chancellor to commit to supporting the UK’s pubs.

The hospitality sector has seen through three years of challenging trading conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the current high inflation, rising energy costs and cost-of-living squeeze on consumer spending.

According to the campaign, 69% of Britons believe pubs play a significant role in bringing communities together, and this is highlighted by links between loneliness and local pub closures. The Long Live the Local campaign, backed by the British Beer and Pub Association, is calling on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to ensure his Budget offers support for the sector or risk these community spaces being lost.

The Long Live the Local campaign is calling for three key reforms from the Chancellor:

1. An overall reduction in beer duty and alcohol duty reforms that support British pubs and beer as a lower strength product.
2. Lower business rates for pubs, which can be five times higher than for other businesses occupying similarly sized properties.
3. Reinstatement of the lower rate of VAT of 12.5% for food and beverages sold in pubs – Long Live the Local estimate that a permanent VAT cut could boost the sector’s turnover by £7.7 billion and see the Treasury take in an additional £4.6 billion over 10 years.

So far, the campaign’s petition calling on the Chancellor to do more for the sector has attracted over 179,000 signatures, with over 128,000 also opting to email their local MPs about the need for greater support for pubs.

William Robinson, Managing Director for Pubs at Stockport-based Robinsons Brewery explained the importance of the campaign:

“For hundreds of years, pubs have been at the heart of communities. Spanning generations, Pubs – or Public Houses – are one of the original social networks and of great importance culturally, economically, and socially.

“In the UK, 600,000 people are employed in pubs. Three pubs a day are closing their doors leaving many communities without a central hub, putting jobs and livelihoods at risk. We cannot allow this to continue.

“We are asking the Government to intervene to stem the closures, save jobs and safeguard our communities. The hospitality sector is still recovering from the drastic impact of Covid; by reducing beer duty, lowering business rates to make them equitable with similar businesses, and by reinstating the lower VAT rate, the government will be throwing our industry a vital lifeline.

“Our own pub estate and brewery are currently managed by the 6^th generation of Robinsons. We have a responsibility to ensure our community hubs and pubs thrive so that future generations of our family can look forward to a successful and sustained business.”

Ahead of the upcoming Budget, Long Live the Local are inviting members of the public to show their support for their local community pub by signing their petition calling on Jeremy Hunt to get behind the sector.