‘A load of rubbish’: Pubs round on Starmer’s licencing offer January 7, 2026 Pub and hospitality bosses have rounded on Keir Starmer’s suggestion that relaxed licencing laws may compensate the industry for business rates bills having risen at the Budget, branding the proposal “a load of rubbish”. The Prime Minister confirmed his government was talking to industry leaders about “what further support” ministers could provide pubs and other [...]
Starmer risks killing the great British pub January 7, 2026 Everyone has a favourite pub. It might be one you go back to on holiday or it could be at the end of your road. It could be a stone’s throw from the office (City AM is blessed in this regard) or one that’s still going from your uni years. The City AM Toast Awards [...]
Britain lost one pub a day in 2025 December 31, 2025 One pub a day closed its doors in 2025 as businesses were forced to battle mounting cost pressures and an increasingly heavy tax burden. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan showed 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in the last 12 months. Since 2020, nearly 2,000 pubs have closed for good, [...]
Are Britain’s independent pubs doomed? December 28, 2025 2025 has been a year of diverging fortunes for pubs. Listed pub chains – particularly those with a strong presence in London – are reporting record sales, buoyed by higher consumer spending and increased footfall as workers return to their offices. Independent pubs, meanwhile, are closing at the fastest rate this century, blaming unfriendly government [...]
Hospitality business rates set to nearly double by 2028 despite government tax cut claims December 20, 2025 Hospitality venues across England will see their business rates bill nearly double in the next three years as a result of the government’s controversial overhaul of the commercial property tax. A fresh analysis of government figures found that most pubs, restaurants and hotels will pay over £32,000 more on property tax by 2028, despite ministers [...]
‘Petrified’ publicans call on government for urgent support December 12, 2025 Pub chiefs have used an emergency meeting to call on the government to provide urgent tax relief in order to stave off closures and job losses. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has urged Labour to introduce 30 per cent business rates relief for pubs to help protect the future of the beleaguered sector. [...]
Landlords bar Labour MPs from pubs as hospitality backlash mounts December 11, 2025 Hundreds of landlords have barred Labour MPs from their pubs as the hospitality sector stepped up its condemnation of a controversial business rates overhaul announced at last month’s Budget. Publicans across the country have locked their doors to Labour politicians, claiming the tax changes will disproportionately harm hospitality and push more boozers to the wall. [...]
‘We’ve been lied to’: Hospitality in uproar over business rates overhaul November 28, 2025 A 5p reduction in business rates for hospitality and retail was held up by the Chancellor as a sign the government was listening to their concerns. But – writes Ali Lyon – as business owners calculated what it meant for their bottom line, they discovered that the devil was in the detail. It was supposed [...]
Autumn Budget ‘deeply concerning’ for squeezed hospitality industry November 26, 2025 The UK’s hospitality industry has been disappointed by the Autumn Budget, with no cuts to VAT and no changes to National Insurance. Even a cut to business rates has been described as “too little, too little” as well as something likely to get wiped out by an inflation-linked revaluation of rates next year. “This is [...]
Autumn Budget: BrewDog boss issues £1bn warning to Rachel Reeves November 19, 2025 The hospitality sector needs to sell almost one million extra pints every hour in order to cope with a £1bn cost surge thanks to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ tax hikes, the chief executive of BrewDog has warned. James Taylor, who took on the job earlier this year, said Reeves needs to take ‘meaningful action’ because of [...]