The Campaign for Pubs says Chancellor Rishi Sunak has turned his back on thousands of wet-led pubs, after he revealed help for premises serving food and offering accommodation in his ‘mini-budget’ statement yesterday.
The group has been campaigning for a 12-month VAT cut for all hospitality. With trade restricted and uncertain due to Covid-19, all pubs are facing reduced trade for months to come, and many of the worst hit are smaller, community locals that don’t serve food — the very pubs excluded from any government support in the Chancellor’s statment.
Campaign director, former politician Greg Mulholland, said: “The government appears to be turning its back on the traditional community local. Many can’t trade profitably due to government restrictions, and yet are being offered no support by the government. We urge the Chancellor to think again, or we will see the closures of many valued pubs, including in his own constituency.
“So we welcome the help for pubs serve food and offer bed and breakfast, but are dismayed at the lack of any support for all other pubs, and we will now be lobbying the government to help all pubs through the ongoing crisis, not just some of them.”
Dawn Hopkins, vice-chair of the campaign and licensee of the wet-led Rose pub, in Norwich, said: “There are thousands of community pubs up and down the country who are dismayed at today’s announcement. Wet-led pubs, like mine, with restricted and reduced trade due to government rules, have been given no support from the government.
“In truth, the Chancellor hasn’t tried to help pubs, he’s just decided to help tourism, and whilst that is important, so are pubs in other areas, and so is community, and today the Chancellor has turned his back on many community locals.
“The message is that wet-led community pubs don’t matter, and that is deeply upsetting when we’ve been working so hard to try to survive this crisis. We urge the government to reconsider, or many of our most beloved pubs will close their doors over the coming months.”
‘While the cut to VAT is great news, it’s disappointing it doesn’t extend to beer’
Chris Jowsey, chief executive of Admiral Taverns, said the Chancellor needed to “level up and support all pubs” as he argued people could be deterred from visiting smaller, local pubs.
Nick McKenzie, chief executive of Greene King, said: “While the cut to VAT on food is great news for the hospitality sector, it’s disappointing it doesn’t extend to beer given the heavy tax burden on brewers.”
Kris Gumbrell, chief executive of Brewhouse & Kitchen, which specialises in beer and food, welcomed theChancellor’s statement, saying his company has championed the encouragement of spreading footfall and revenue across weekdays.
He said: “The Eat Out to Help Out scheme announced by the Chancellor today is fantastic news for the hospitality industry. This decision is a win-win for both the government and businesses by allowing our venues to remain open, thus enabling us to un-furlough and save the jobs of our team members along the way.
“Of course, the public will also see benefits from this decision as well, not only will they once again be able to enjoy our great food and craft beer, but they will be able to eat out with a possible 50% price reduction.”
