The trade body outlined the importance of pubs to their communities, highlighting their support during the pandemic.
It also laid out how since then, the sector has faced ‘incredible challenges’ with energy costs trebling, food and drink inflation soaring while paying ‘unjust amounts of tax’.
Operators have absorbed so much of these additional costs in a bid to protect customers from price rises, according to the campaign, with further hikes such as employer national insurance contributions, national minimum wage and business rates coming into force from April.
Recent data from the trade body found from April, if pubs made no changes, eight in 10 (80%) would be unprofitable.
Society fabric
This is simply not sustainable, the BII warned, putting ‘Our Pubs’ at risk of failure, jobs at risk as well as communities and mental wellbeing of thousands at risk.
BII CEO Steve Alton said: “Our pubs are the fabric of our society. They are not just places where people can have a pint. They are vital to communities, towns and high streets and are a unique attraction to locals, visitors and tourists alike.
“We can and do provide economic growth lie no other sector, when we are supported with fair taxation but the rises planned for April are a hammer blow to pubs across the UK.
“In order to survive, operators are having to cut costs wherever they can and after five years of rising prices, the only option for many will be to cut jobs, open fewer hours or leave their businesses altogether.
“The Government’s short-sighted approach to taxing small businesses to fill the black hole in the Budget will mean rising inflation, unemployment, lost investment in communities and a heavier burden on the welfare and healthcare systems, which are already overstretched.”
Immense pressure
The trade body boss urged operators to contact MPs to help highlight the importance of pubs.
Alton added: “As importantly though, our communities stand to lose so much - a place to connect, a place to celebrate, a place to commiserate and a place to share vital human contact.
“Local supply chains will be put under immense pressure, with the thousands of businesses who rely on pubs for their own incomes.
“We want every pub in the UK to share the message with their teams, customers and suppliers that ‘Our Pub’ is too important to lose.
“We want a flood of emails to local MPs, forcing them to take the plight of every single local pub to Westminster, to show the huge importance the British people place on their pubs at the heart of their communities.”
Operators can get involved in the campaign by sharing the BII’s social posts and can visit the trade body’s campaign page to email their local MP.
