Campaigners call for a tax break for pubs as closures reach 18 per week

Campaigners are calling for urgent action to save Britain’s pubs from a hefty tax burden, as new research showed that almost 18 are closing every week.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said that pubs are being hit by a “triple whammy” of high beer duty, business rates, and VAT.

Fresh research from CAMRA showed that 460 pubs closed in the second half of 2017, an average of almost 18 every week.

London suffered the most severe rate of closures, with 52 of the capital’s watering holes shutting their doors between July and December last year, equivalent to 1.2 per cent of all the pubs in London.

The only other region to lose pubs at the same rate was Yorkshire and the Humber. Meanwhile the South East lost the highest number of pubs, as 62 closed during the period.

Colin Valentine, CAMRA’s national chairman, put the rate of closures down to the imposition of taxes. It is estimated that a third of the price of a pint is now made up of various taxes.

“From these new pub closure figures, it is clear that a fundamental change is needed if the British pub is to survive for future generations,” said Valentine.

“As Britain prepares to leave the European Union, the Government has a unique opportunity to update the tax system to better support pubs, which are a bastion of British culture and at the heart of communities across the country.”

Solutions proposed by the group included lowering alcohol duty for beer sold in pubs, reforming the business rates system or giving pubs relief on VAT.

Last year Chancellor Philip Hammond bowed to pressure from campaign groups and froze alcohol duties.

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