A community pub group founded by King Charles has launched a scathing attack on Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Autumn Budget, labelling key measures as 'madness' and 'catastrophically bad policy'.
Industry Fury Over 'Damaging' Budget Measures
Pub is the Hub, the non-profit organisation established in 2001 by the then-Prince of Wales, said it was left stunned by the Chancellor's announcements. The group, which helps pubs survive by adding vital community amenities like shops and post offices to their premises, has written a strongly-worded letter to the Treasury.
The letter warns that the average community pub, described as the place where 'the social fabric of Britain is weaved', faces a devastating financial blow. According to the group, pubs will be 'hammered with a damaging increase of 10 times the magnitude' of what was expected due to changes to business rates support.
Urgent Plea to Maintain Business Rates Discount
The core demand from the coalition of hospitality bodies is for the Chancellor to retain the current 30 per cent discount on business rates for the hospitality industry. This relief is seen as a critical lifeline for pubs, restaurants, and cafes across the country.
Andrew Slee, the Chief Executive of the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates, who also signed the letter, expressed his disbelief. 'Labour committed to levelling the playing field, but I have been trying to make sense of what happened in the Budget since the full horror of it emerged,' he said.
He added, 'It is such catastrophically bad policy that I can only think it was a mistake. No-one could have looked at this and thought 'This makes sense, so we'll go with it'. It is madness.'
Widespread Industry Backing and Government Response
The letter carries significant weight, with signatories including most of the UK's major hospitality trade bodies:
- The British Beer and Pub Association
- UK Hospitality
- Independent Family Brewers of Britain
- Hospitality Ulster
- The British Institute of Innkeeping
In response, a Treasury spokesman defended the Budget, stating, 'We're protecting pubs, restaurants and cafés with the Budget's £4.3bn support package.'
The spokesman argued that without this government intervention, pubs would be confronting a staggering 45% increase in their total bills next year. 'Because of the support we've put in place, we've got that down to just 4%,' the Treasury concluded.
However, the united front of hospitality leaders clearly believes the proposed measures fall dangerously short, putting the future of countless community pubs at severe risk.
