Dear Chancellor,

Please support the UK’s pubs and small brewers in the forthcoming budget

We are writing on behalf of the Campaign for Pubs, urging you to understand and help alleviate the very difficult situation facing the UK’s pubs, publicans and brewers – thousands of which are small independent businesses with thousands more employees. We urge you not to increase tax or business costs on pubs.

The current situation for pubs, publicans and many small breweries is very tough. The cost-of-living crisis has seen rising prices and business costs, including spiralling energy bills, at the same time as many consumers have had to reduce their spending. This ‘perfect storm’ of trading circumstances has led to a worryingly high rate of pub and small brewery closures. The current crisis of course follows the lockdowns and restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many pubs still paying off considerable Covid debt.