COLUMN by South Cotswolds MP Dr Roz Savage

Recently, I had the privilege of visiting a charming pub in Wiltshire, where I was struck by the dedication of the landlord and landlady.

They haven’t drawn a salary for months, pouring every penny back into keeping the pub's doors open.

As we chatted over a delicious home-cooked lunch, the landlord confided his uncertainty about renewing the lease with the pub's corporate owners – a property company, with little understanding of the hospitality industry's challenges.

This landlord's story is far from unique. Across the South Cotswolds and beyond, publicans are grappling with soaring energy costs, increased business rates, and changing consumer habits.

The pandemic has left many establishments teetering on the brink, with some forced to close their doors permanently.

Each closure represents not just the death of a business, but the loss of a community hub.

With the Budget coming up, the Chancellor needs to remember that already one in every three pounds spent in UK pubs goes directly to the Treasury.  

Pub-goers are some of the most taxed in Europe, and this is hampering the recovery of our locals.

When a pub closes, we lose far more than a place to drink.

Our communities lose a focal point for social interaction, a venue for local events, and a space where neighbours become friends. 

The pub is often the last remaining service in many rural areas, serving as an informal community centre, a meeting place for local groups, and a lifeline for those at risk of isolation with its associated mental health issues.

Many rural pubs have also already diversified their businesses, now being home to the local shop and post office.

As your Member of Parliament for the South Cotswolds, I’m championing the vital role that pubs play in our rural communities.

These establishments are not merely places to enjoy a pint; they are the beating hearts of our villages, fostering connections and preserving our local heritage.

I am committed to helping our pubs to thrive. This includes pushing for reforms to business rates.

As Nik Ancoda, the chair of the real ale group CAMRA, said, "The Liberal Democrats’ plans to replace the current business rates system with a new Commercial Landowner Levy based on land value rather than entire capital value could see more proportionate business taxes for the hospitality sector in many parts of the country and an end to the current system which disincentives investment in pubs." Chancellor, please take note.

I am also advocating for continued support as we recover from the pandemic.

For pubs that are about to go under, I encourage communities to apply to the Community Ownership Fund, which provides £150 million to help residents take ownership of at-risk local assets, and to get support from the Community Ownership Fund, which provides £150 million to help communities take ownership of at-risk local assets. 

And you can help too – the King says so. Back in 2001, the then Prince of Wales wrote, “Rural communities, and this country's rural way of life, are facing unprecedented challenges.

Now, perhaps more than ever in their history, they must draw on their resourcefulness and resilience, built up over centuries, to meet changing circumstances and find new ways to help themselves. But they need not and, indeed cannot do it alone.”

So make a point of dropping in at your local for a cup of coffee once a week.

Use the pub for meetings, choir practices, or other functions. Supporting your pub doesn’t have to be boozy. 

Let’s work together to keep the lights on and the doors open in these invaluable institutions.