According to reports, nature minister Jenny Riddell-Carpenter made the comments at a Labour conference fringe event in Liverpool, warning about the “weaponisation” of the countryside ahead of the next election.
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The Suffolk Coastal MP was reported as saying: “It’ll be that warm ale, a black Labrador by your feet in a pub that doesn’t exist, and with symbolism of fox hunting all around them. It’ll be a very far-right nostalgic vision of Britain that we don’t want to have, [that] never really existed.”
Riddell-Carpenter has since sought to clarify the comments in a post on Instagram.
She said: “Do I think country pubs and black labs are far right? No way hosay.
“I was talking about how rural life isn’t always rosy and there are challenges the Government can help fix. And how our progressive Labour vision under this Government will bring more opportunity for everyone in rural Britain.
“So yes to pubs, pints and labradors. I love all of these things and so much more that rural Britain is. I love rural Britain because I’m from rural Britain.”
‘Extraordinarily insulting’
Emma Harrison, managing director of the Three Hills in Bartlow, Cambridgeshire, said the comments were “extraordinarily insulting” to people who live in, work in and use rural pubs.
She told The Morning Advertiser (MA): “I run a rural pub in a small Cambridgeshire village, and I can tell you that the country pub absolutely does exist, and it is about considerably more than nostalgia, alcohol or an idealised version of rural England.
“A good country pub is one of the few places left where an entire community can come together.
“And yes, there are people who come in with their dogs. There are people who drink ale. There are people who enjoy walking in the countryside and then sitting in a pub afterwards. None of those things are political statements. They are simply part of rural life.”
Harrison said the Three Hills employs around 45 people, many of them young people from surrounding villages, and buys from local producers and suppliers.
She added: “What I find particularly troubling about the minister’s comments is the assertion that this sort of pub ‘doesn’t exist’ and ‘never really existed’. I would invite her to spend a day in an actual village pub.”
‘Unfortunate, upsetting and offensive’
Richard Gordon, director of Greedy Gordons, which operates the Red Lion in Cranford, Northamptonshire, said the comments were “deeply unfortunate, upsetting and offensive” to rural operators.
The Red Lion was named Best Country Pub at the Great British Pub Awards this year.
Gordon said: “A village pub is not a political stereotype or a nostalgic fantasy. It is a real, living community hub where people of every age, background and political persuasion come together.
“At the Red Lion, we provide local employment, support other local businesses, host community events, raise money, donate food and practical help, welcome families and dogs, and offer friendship and companionship to people who might otherwise feel isolated.”
He said the response to the pub’s Great British Pub Awards win had demonstrated “just how much the Red Lion means to people and how strongly country pubs continue to be valued”.
Gordon added: “The traditional country pub most certainly still exists, but it has also evolved. Alongside the pint and the dog by the fire, you will find modern food, cocktails, young people developing hospitality careers, families dining together, environmental projects, community support and customers from every part of society.
“That combination of tradition and progress is exactly why country pubs remain relevant.”
Operators said the row risked distracting from the financial pressures facing rural pubs, including VAT, business rates and employment costs.
Gordon said: “The Red Lion’s official rateable value has increased from £10,000 to £52,000. That is the sort of real issue threatening the future of rural pubs, not whether somebody enjoys a pint with a Labrador beside them.
“The country pub is not a fantasy, it is alive, loved and needed. The real danger is that excessive taxation and rising operating costs will cause these vital community institutions to disappear.”
Harrison said country pubs needed a permanent VAT reduction for hospitality.
She said: “We pay more than £50,000 a quarter in VAT at the Three Hills alone. That is an extraordinary amount of money leaving a rural business and going straight to the Treasury.
“A permanent reduction in VAT would give hospitality businesses the breathing space to invest, employ people, increase wages, support suppliers and keep prices at a level at which customers can continue to afford to use us.”
‘Centre of communities’
Tim Bird, co-founder of Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars, said country and village pubs were among the strongest examples of successful rural hospitality when operated well.
He said: “The best pubs in this country are the well-run village and country pubs at the centre of their rural communities. Heritage is vital, as is nostalgia, and that’s why these pubs, when operated correctly, are the epitome of what a quintessential English pub should be.”
“These people are so far away from understanding the diversity of our industry, we shouldn’t give them any air-time at all. Her comments are naïve at best.”
Bird said Cheshire Cat Pubs and Bars operates seven village and rural pubs, six of which were closed when the group took them on.
He added: “They now are all amazing pubs. We have proved beyond doubt the viability of these pubs when they are operated well. All we did to make our pubs special was to restore the nostalgia alongside great food and drink served by amazing people.”
