Kerry McCarthy Labour MP for Bristol East
East Bristol is home to 46 pubs, providing 564 jobs, and a £13.9 million contribution to our GDP. Pubs play a huge part in both our economy and our culture – we must do all we can to reverse the worrying rate of pub closures across the country. Pubs are at the heart of communities across Bristol East, but with three British pubs closing their doors for good every day the Government should consider a cut to beer tax. I’m supporting the Long Live the Local campaign and calling on the Chancellor to cut beer tax at this year’s Budget to support pubs in our local communities.
As well as this, the Government should also consider introducing a minimum pricing scheme to bring the price of the high-strength alcohol found in shops in line with the price of a pub pint. Labour policy is also to list pubs as ‘Assets of Community Value’, to give local people the chance to buy pubs under threat of closing: a policy to put power back to local people, and a policy that would go a long way to stop pub closures across the country.
