Buckingham MP, Greg Smith, is supporting the nationwide campaign, after fears many pubs will go permanently out of business because of the COVID restrictions. The ‘#UnlockInn - Save the Great British Pub campaign’ already has 750 patrons backing it.
The ‘#UnlockInn - Save the Great British Pub campaign’ already has 750 patrons backing it.
The campaign, which is led by the Countryside Alliance, follows revelations in a recent survey of pub landlords that found a staggering six in 10 believing they will go out of business if lockdown restrictions are not sufficiently lifted until the summer.
Greg Smith MP has said: “We are so fortunate in the Buckingham constituency to have a number of pubs which mean so much to the rural communities that depend on them. We cannot see them close permanently nor further burdened by unnecessary rules like the substantial meal requirement."
As the vaccination rollout continues at rapid pace, the campaign has 5 asks, which it hopes the Prime Minister Boris Johnson will consider when outlining the hotly anticipated roadmap for leaving lockdown.
1. Allow pubs to serve alcohol with takeaways as soon as possible. This is currently not allowed and considered unfair.
2. Scrap the ‘substantial meal’ requirement, when pubs open again.
3. If pubs are forced to remain closed into the Summer months, please provide these struggling businesses with increased financial support. We cannot see them fall by the wayside.
4. Offer a practical road map for pubs and the hospitality industry at large to help them realistically prepare for when they can resume trading again.
5. Extend VAT at 5%, while ensuring rates are cut by 50 percent for the same length of time. This will help pubs get through the much-needed economic recovery.
To support the #UnlockInn - Save the Great British Pub click this link: Countryside Alliance - Countryside Alliance work relating to rural life and the countryside (countryside-alliance.org)
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