Due to high energy bills and tax burdens, more and more pubs in Great Britain are having to close. 6,000 jobs also fell victim to this development.
The death of pubs in Britain continues. In 2023, 509 pubs in the country closed their doors forever, as the Morning Advertiser reported, citing the British Bar and Pub Association (BBPA). More than 6,000 jobs were also affected. At the end of 2023, it is estimated that there were still around 45,300 pubs in the country. That was around a quarter less than in 2000. The BBPA cited “stubbornly high energy bills, one of the highest beer taxes in Europe and no VAT relief” as reasons for the closures.
“When a community loses a pub, they don’t just lose the building and jobs,” said BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin. “She also loses a cultural treasure in her heart that is impossible to replace.” Pubs are an economic indicator and there is an obvious link between the demise of pubs and the decline of high streets in many places. The industry urged the government to help. What is needed, among other things, is a reduction in beer tax and VAT.
Source: Stern
