43% of Brits lack faith in political leaders to protect pubs

Almost half of Brits (43%) don’t trust political party leaders to look out for the interests of pubs, CAMRA research has revealed.

The findings were revealed just two days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attendance at the Great British Beer Festival caused a stir and showed that only 9% trusted him when it came to looking out for the pub sector.

Labour’s Keir Starmer fared best, with 17% of Britons saying they would trust him to look out for the interests of pubs, whilst Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey garnered the support of just 3% of Brits saying they would trust him to look out for the pub industry.

Despite recent lobbying successes for CAMRA, including the introduction of a lower rate of tax for beer and cider sold on draught, the organisation voiced its concerns for the future of British pubs.

Speaking of the findings, CAMRA’s national chairman, Nik Antona said: “Sadly, this data suggests that the public’s perception is that our beloved locals have often been an afterthought in politics. We often hear politicians playing lip service to the community and social value of our locals – which is brilliant – but we need that to be backed up with meaningful action.”

Antona explained: “With a general election approaching, these results should be a wake up call for politicians, who need to have substantive policies in place to address the catalogue of issues facing the pub trade.”

He added: “CAMRA believes our pubs and social clubs deserve a fighting chance with urgent action needed on energy prices, Business Rates, a fix for the takeaway pints issue caused by the new Alcohol Duty system, and the right for licensees to choose what products they keep on the bar without stock lists being dictated by pub companies.”

Sunak, who is teetotal, has attracted criticism from drinks industry bodies ever since his first leadership campaign for his support for raising duties. One of his fiercest critics was Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA). In response to the news of Sunak taking the role of PM, Beale insisted that the drinks industry needed “sensible and fair policies which will allow them to recover, invest and grow” and highlighted how it needed Sunak, and his Cabinet, including his Chancellor, to “focus on delivering policies which support growth, support British businesses of all sizes and which avoid unnecessary, costly red tape and punishing taxes”.

Sunak riled the industry earlier this year when he claimed when speaking to reporters in the Spring that he had “reformed the alcohol duties that mean this summer you will be able to get cheaper beer in pubs” and claimed “these are all very tangible benefits of Brexit that I’ve already delivered” and faced a backlash from the brewing industry as a result.

HM treasury is currently circulating advertising for its ‘Brexit Pubs Guarantee’ where Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has outlined how the British government is “helping” the pub industry and craft breweries across Britain, however the pub and beer sector has responded highlighting how the information being shared by politically on this as a win for pubs and the beer industry is “misleading”.

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