There are few things more British than the local pub. It’s where we celebrate births and birthdays, commiserate after defeats, argue politics with people we actually like, put the world to rights over a pint, and occasionally wake up the next morning wondering why we thought karaoke was a good idea.
Pubs aren’t just places to drink. They are the glue that holds communities together.
Yet right now, Britain’s pubs are being clobbered by a Labour government that seems to view hospitality less as a community cornerstone and more as a convenient cash machine.
Rachel Reeves stood up and sold her Budget as help for retail, hospitality and leisure. The headlines sounded reassuring. The reality, once the detail landed, was very different. Across the country, landlords are opening letters, running the numbers, and realising that their bills are going up, not down. Business rates remain broken, costs continue to spiral, and the so-called “support” barely scratches the surface when you’re operating on wafer-thin margins.
This isn’t just an accountant’s spreadsheet problem. It’s a real-world issue affecting real people.
Here in North West Leicestershire, pubs are not abstract economic units, they are part of everyday life. They sponsor local football teams, host charity quiz nights, provide space for clubs and societies, and offer a warm welcome long after the shops have shut and the lights are off on the high street.
Take the Kings Arms in Whitwick. I was talking recently with the landlord, Luke, who didn’t mince his words. For him, the biggest concern isn’t Christmas, it’s January. That’s when trade traditionally dips, the festive buzz fades, and every fixed cost suddenly feels heavier. When wages, energy bills, alcohol duty and business rates all rise at the same time, but footfall drops, there’s very little room for error. As Luke put it to me, you don’t get many second chances to make the numbers work.
That’s the reality Labour doesn’t seem to understand.
Pubs already pay a wildly disproportionate share of business rates compared to their turnover. Add in rising National Insurance costs, higher minimum wages, stubbornly high energy prices and inflation across supply chains, and it’s little wonder landlords are being forced into impossible choices: hike prices, cut opening hours, reduce staff, or all three, just to stay afloat.
And then Labour has the cheek to act surprised when pint prices rise.
This is exactly why I make no apology for saying that the Conservatives remain the party of small business. We understand that when you back small businesses, you back communities. That means fair business rates, lower burdens, sensible regulation and a tax system that encourages enterprise rather than punishes it. Pubs don’t want special treatment, they want a level playing field and a government that doesn’t move the goalposts every five minutes.
You may have seen the growing national protest too. Across the country, pubs and restaurants are now banning Labour MPs in protest at the damage being done to hospitality. It’s a powerful, symbolic stand, and one that has clearly struck a nerve.
Which is why, yes, I’m backing Jeremy Clarkson’s cheeky, but rather brilliant, campaign to keep Labour MPs out of our local pubs until they reverse the harm they’re causing. If you’re voting to hammer landlords and hike their costs, you shouldn’t then be popping in for a cosy pint and a photo opportunity. Actions have consequences.
Here in North West Leicestershire, I’m spearheading a local campaign to stand up for our pubs and the people behind the bar. I want landlords to know they’re not on their own, and that someone is making their case loudly and unapologetically.
If you’re a pub or restaurant owner worried about what’s coming next, especially once Christmas is over and January bites, I’m more than happy to come and talk it through properly.
Preferably over a pint. It is the festive season, after all.
And if any pubs or restaurants locally are joining the “no Labour MPs” movement, let me know.
I might even have a little gift for you. 🍺
