Thu, 15 Jan 2026

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 'We don't need a sticking plaster', say pub owners

More than 40 hospitality firms have come together to campaign against tax increases.
Pub landlords in Gloucestershire are calling on the government to rethink its plans for business rates, which they claim will lead to more pub closures. The government has announced a scaling back of planned rate increases, but many landlords argue that this does not go far enough. They want the current system scrapped and replaced with a fairer one. The proposed changes would see pubs face significant increases in their business rates, with some facing rises of tens of thousands of pounds. This has left many owners considering drastic measures such as reducing staff and potentially making redundancies. Landlords are urging the government to consider introducing a discount similar to the 40% cut introduced during the pandemic, which they claim would be a more effective solution than simply scaling back rate increases. "We need a fair system, not just a sticking plaster," said Phil Kiernan, owner of the Farmer's Boy Inn. "We can't keep putting Band-Aids on this problem." The current business rates system is based on a combination of the rateable value of a property and a percentage multiplier. However, landlords argue that the rateable values have increased too quickly, while the multiplier has not been adjusted accordingly. Wayne Childs, landlord at the King's Arms, said: "We can't keep going on like this. We need a fundamental change to the system." The government is considering introducing smaller increases in business rates, but landlords are urging them to go further and reform the entire system. "We're not just asking for a discount, we want a fair system that works for everyone," said Nicki Bird, chair of the Forest of Dean Economic Partnership.
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