Henry Smith MP has pledged his support for the Long Live the Local campaign to help pubs and breweries in Crawley recover and thrive, as over 125,000 people have signed the organisation’s petition so far including 165 in Crawley alone.

Henry said;

“Pubs are at the heart of communities across Crawley, but with pubs bearing a disproportionate burden as a result of the pandemic the Government should consider cutting unfair taxes on pubs that are hampering their recovery.

“I’m supporting the Long Live the Local campaign and calling on the Chancellor to lower VAT and Business Rates for pubs and reduce Beer Duty overall at this year’s Budget to support the recovery of pubs.”

The Crawley MP is calling on the Government to lower VAT and Business Rates for pubs and for an overall reduction in Beer Duty. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on brewers and pubs throughout the UK and continues to do so as the sector tries to kickstart its recovery.

The sector needs an immediate boost and the fact that a local pub adds £100,000 to its local economy, creates jobs and acts as a social hub, underlines how directly investment in the form of lower VAT, Business Rates and an overall cut to Beer Duty can help pubs and their communities to recover. It will also boost Britain’s world-class brewing sector, a homegrown manufacturing success story that brews over 80 per cent of the beer we drink.

Brewing and pubs in Crawley supports 1,619 jobs and contributes £46 million to the local economy. With £1 in every £3 spent in UK pubs going to the taxman, British drinkers and pub goers are overtaxed and this is hampering the recovery of our cherished locals and Britain’s brewers.

Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, commented;

“85 per cent of pubs are based in community and rural areas, bringing jobs to the parts of the UK that need them most. They employ over 600,000 people, of which 43 per cent are under 25. Cutting Business Rates, VAT and an overall reduction in Beer Duty would go a long way to helping pubs and brewers across Crawley that are desperately trying to recover.

“We are very grateful to Henry Smith MP for his support for the Long Live the Local campaign, and hope that the Government listens to MPs across Parliament and the thousands of people across the country who are calling on the Chancellor to lower VAT & Business Rates for pubs and reduce Beer Duty overall.”