Blog by Neville Grundy, Southport and West Lancs CAMRA
The upcoming Autumn Statement on 22nd November 2023 gives the Government the opportunity to provide real support to pubs, social clubs, brewers and cider makers.
CAMRA is campaigning to see these key steps taken:
- Reduce draught beer and cider duty. This will help level the playing field between pubs and social clubs, which are focal points of communities, and the off-trade in supermarkets and off licences.
- Scrap the unnecessary rules that are preventing draught takeaway sales of draught beer, cider and perry on which a high rate of duty has already been paid by the customer – an effective ban on take-home draught beer and cider for most pubs and festivals.
- In England, replace the temporary business rate relief schemes that are due to end next year – with money for devolved governments to do the same in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
- Act on energy supply and pricing issues for pubs and the supply chain.
The producers and venues we love are in need of urgent support, and the Government benefits from the huge amount of tax and duty from the licensed trade. Unless there are reforms to the duty and rates regime that pubs and producers are subjected to, there is a real risk that they will kill the goose that lays the golden eggs – i.e. lose the income from duty and rates.
The Victoria pub in Southport. Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Pub closures have multiple impacts: they remove local meeting points which can particularly adversely hit small communities, many of which have already lost their locals; they lead to job losses; and they cause a loss of income for the government.
The producers and venues we love are in need of urgent campaigning support, so it’s important that we make sure MPs know that these issues matter to us as consumers – and as voters. To assist CAMRA with this campaign, please go to: tinyurl.com/mumx7ff2.
► The Victoria, Promenade, Southport. There were recent news reports that this pub had closed. I’m pleased to say that I have passed it several times over the last couple of weeks and it has clearly reopened. It does not serve real ale at present although when I visited a couple of months ago, I was told that they might in future. Fingers crossed then, both for the continued survival of this pub and for real ale appearing there.
► The national CAMRA website is at: camra.org.uk. The Southport & West Lancs Branch website is at southport.camra.org.uk.
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