Plea for Spring Budget action as 21 pubs close doors to the public every week in Britain

In the last 6 months of 2022, 554 pubs closed for business or stood empty without tenants, new statistics from CAMRA reveal.

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is calling on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to put together a support package to save the UK’s pubs after new figures showed that 21 pubs a week are closing for business or losing their licensees.

Pub closure statistics revealed by the consumer organisation for the period July – December 2022 show that 554 pubs in Great Britain are now classed as ‘long term closures’, meaning they have gone out of business or are standing empty.

The shocking statistics have prompted CAMRA to call for the Government to invest in a dedicated support package to save local pubs which are at the heart of communities up and down the country.

Beer drinkers and pub goers are being asked to contact their MP to ask them to support action to save pubs in the Government’s Spring Budget.

CAMRA’s one-minute lobbying tool matches people with their local MP and gives them a template email, making it easy for people to join the campaign to save their locals. The tool is available at: https://camra.e-activist.com/page/121106/action/1

Commenting on pub closure figures for the last half of 2022, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said:

“These figures should be an urgent wake-up call for the Government. Without a support package in the Spring Budget, we risk losing more pubs which are at the heart of community life and play such a crucial role in bringing people together and tackling loneliness and social isolation.

“With the cost of doing business rocketing, energy costs sky-high and customers tightening their belts it is little wonder that hundreds of pubs across the country are closing for business or are standing empty. We know that the licensed trade can thrive and drive growth in the economy, but only if the Government acts quickly.

“That’s why CAMRA is calling on all pub goers to join our campaign for urgent help to save our pubs which includes giving more help with energy bills from April, making the business rates system fairer for pubs and cutting tax on draught beer and cider by 20% to give our locals a fighting chance to compete with the likes of supermarket alcohol.”