Mon, 08 Sep 2025

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 'It's getting harder and harder to run a pub'

A landlady is calling for government help for the hospitality sector.

* A landlady in Cheltenham, Emma Gibbon, claims it's becoming harder to run a pub due to challenges such as price increases, Covid and debt.
* She is calling on the government for support, including a change to National Insurance contributions for employers and a reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector.
* The government has already announced some measures to help pubs, including cutting licensing costs, extending business rates relief and reducing alcohol duty on draught pints.
* However, Mrs Gibbon argues that these measures don't address the main issue, which is the increased National Insurance contributions for employers.
* The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that one pub closes down every day in the UK in 2025 due to unsustainable business costs.
* Mrs Gibbon met with a government minister last week to discuss the challenges facing pubs, but the minister has since left their position following a cabinet reshuffle.
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