“The Government needs to change course to save our locals”

Pubs are at the heart of local communities right across the country, and it’s no different here in Mid Bedfordshire. But now they’re at risk thanks to decisions made by this Labour Government. We’ve seen the Government bragging about its Budget decision to cut 1p off every pint, but even if you ignore this quite frankly negligible change, other decisions made in the Budget have caused far more harm to our locals. At the General Election, Labour promised they

After the 2019 general election, the Conservative Government introduced an extra business rate relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England. This included pubs. In 2024-25, this is worth 75% off bills, up to a maximum of £110,000 per business. The policy has been renewed every year since 2020- 21. In 2025-26, this relief is being cut by the Labour Government. This will lead to an increase in business rates for the average pub of £5,519 a year. And that’s on top of the extra £800 per employee.

Are we really going to see that 1p off a pint Rachel Reeves promised? Or will pubs be forced to increase prices to survive?

With 110 pubs in Bedford Borough and 190 pubs across Central Bedfordshire, we have to do more to support our locals and help them thrive. To try and help promote our fantastic pubs in Mid Bedfordshire I’m going to launch a Pub of the Year competition to get people across the constituency talking about and voting for their favourite local pubs. So make sure you stay tuned to my social media channels over the coming weeks to help support your local and vote for them as Mid Beds’ best.

Stay In Touch

I hold regular advice surgeries across our Mid Bedfordshire constituency, and you can find all the details on my website - blakestephenson.uk. Please just email [email protected] to book an appointment.

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