Anyone who knows me will know that I love a good pub, a pint of cider being my normal tipple. But in recent years I have noticed a worrying trend, many pubs across England, especially in Hertfordshire have been closing. I believe that pubs play a vital role in our communities.
My friend Lisa Nash, Chair of the SOS Pub campaign in Knebworth argues that “A community pub is many things to many people and is not just about alcohol sales. The pub becomes the hub of the community, facilitating community cohesion and reducing social isolation which we know is detrimental to health. If our venture is successful it will enable the people of Knebworth to take control of what they want, ensuring that they have the pub they deserve, which caters for all and means that they have all they have all they could want from a village on their door- step which is important for a rural community.”
Yet despite this crucial role – across Hertfordshire pubs and small businesses are being crippled by spiralling business rates. One local pub suffered an increase of 280% from £14,000 to £53,000 per annum, which would require it to sell an extra 22,000 pints of beer a year.
So when an opportunity arose, I decided to step up and do something about it and help change the national party policy of the Lib Dems. I took that stand at the annual Liberal Democrats Autumn conference alongside Daisy Cooper our candidate in St. Albans and highlight the severity of the issue of pub closures in Hitchin, where a great many have closed in the last three years. You can watch the speech below.
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It worked and the motion passed and national Lib Dem party policy was changed to introduce a ‘pub cap’ that will limit the increase of business rate rises on pubs, restaurants and cafes to 12.5%.
After the speeches and the vote Party Leader Sir Vince Cable poured a pint and told local campaigners “I want our party to be pro business and pro enterprise. British business is in desperate need of a champion and we will be that champion, not for the sake of it, but because Britain succeeds when they succeed.”
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