Rachel Gilmour: What can be done to help small local pubs?

There I met Tom, the head (and sole) brewer, and Jon, who owns the pub, along with others in the Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

Theirs is a small operation, but don’t let that be mistaken for insignificant – the brewery can turn out up to 4,000 quality pints a week.

This is the story up and down the constituency.

The hospitality industry is the lifeblood of Tiverton and Minehead, whether in the Bear, or anywhere across Exmoor, West Somerset, and Mid Devon.

These pubs are the heart and soul of the rural communities they serve, and they are currently being left out in the cold by this government, in the face of severe economic difficulties.

When the chancellor introduced her jobs tax in last year’s budget, it sent a shockwave through the hospitality industry – and the Commons.

I still remember the audible gasp when it was announced.

That single act has wrought havoc in the part-time economy, particularly hammering hospitality businesses.

Gone are the days when a thriving bar could employ plenty of young local people behind their bar, or in their front of house: the NICs alone on such moves now would put many of my pubs under.

As well as that, the chancellor also axed the 75 per cent relief for Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure (RHL) on their business rates.

This meant that the double whammy cost even more jobs and pushed the sector even further away from sustainability.

Facing a cost-of-living crisis, people have cut back on their meals out and leisure activities.

Rather than recognising this and supporting our fabulous hospitality sector, cutting the relief offered to them pushed many more businesses closer to the precipice (and in some cases, over it).

This year, there was a glimmer of hope for what the budget might bring.

The chancellor had promised ‘permanently lower’ business rates for small businesses last October, so I was eager to hear what they might look like in this year’s announcements.

I was saddened, but not surprised, to hear that no such advancements were forthcoming.

Whilst the chancellor did announce a 15 per cent cap on the multiplier for business rates, designed to protect small businesses, this came in tandem with a complete re-evaluation of business rates, which meant that pubs and hospitality venues in my constituency have been whacked with increases of up to 76 per cent.

These changes were enough to push nearby Visit Cornwall under, and I can only hope that others don't follow suit.

The landscape for pubs and hospitality looks incredibly bleak.

That’s why I have been calling for the government to introduce a five per cent VAT cut for hospitality businesses, to help them through these difficult times.

My party and I know the value of small (and large) hospitality businesses, particularly in rural areas, and that’s why we’re committed to supporting them.

Of course, there are still good news stories out there.

The Butcher’s Arms, in Carhampton, has reopened, and ditto the Greyhound in Stogursey.

One of my old haunts, the Carew Arms, is thriving under new management.

I am steadfast in my support for my local pubs – whether that’s out in the constituency, or up in Parliament.

The Conservative Party showed their true colours in government: they did not know their firkin from their pin, nor could they tell a kilderkin from a craft keg.

We should be backing our small businesses by completely scrapping the business rates system and replacing it with a much fairer commercial landowner levy, as well as pushing for an entirely new, lower category of national insurance contributions to account for part-time staff in the hospitality sector.

I love my community, and I love the hospitality sector, which keeps my constituency going.

I will do everything I can to support them in these difficult times, but the government has to start listening; otherwise there won’t be a hospitality industry to save.