What do you mean he needs to lay off the cooking sherry?!
But yes, ok, at the moment of writing, it’s probably not looking that sunny right now, and there’s a lot of very worried operators out there wondering how they’ll manage in the year ahead.
I think that’s one of the things this current lot of politicians forget when it comes to pubs - these aren’t just businesses we’re discussing - they’re community assets, hubs and very often, people’s homes.
This isn’t just a case of, lose your job, shut up shop and go drive for Amazon - people will find themselves having to look for somewhere else to live as well, and face the prospect of having to move away from a community and network of friends and support.
There’s a human angle to all of this that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves fail to grasp - or perhaps don’t really care about.
Hope ahead?
But, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon - it would appear that the Labour MP ban has rattled a few cages and actually achieved something we appear to have been unable to do up until now - some of the MPs are starting to listen.
A report in The Telegraph quoted one minister as saying “The pubs is the one weak spot in the Budget. That’s the thing we may need to backtrack on.”
The Government continues to trot out the nonsense of transitional relief support (something that shouldn’t be needed if you actually were lowering the tax rates) and even more galling the constant reference to licensing reform. This ridiculous claim that tinkering at the edges is offering support brings to mind Nero and his fiddle.
Ultimately, we understand that the market has moved since the last revaluation which was done during the covid era - but what isn’t reflected is the fact that costs have also spiralled since then, driving up turnovers and reducing margins and profit.
Impossible situation
To simply blindly focus on turnover and refuse to recognise the other economic impacts and challenges is appalling and puts pubs in an impossible situation.
So we need to keep fighting into the New Year - we need to maintain that pressure on MPs and ensure that the minister’s quote above turns out to be true, and we see a Government backtrack before too much damage is done.
Our ask for Government is simple - stick to your promises. Actually reform business rates, address the nonsensical valuation system and make the tax burden on pubs fairer.
If you don’t it won’t just be labour MPs that can’t go to the pub - there won’t be any pubs for anyone to go to.
