British Institute of Innkeeping launches 'Our pub'
The British Institute of Innkeeping has developed the ‘Our Pub’ initiative.
A new campaign has been launched to highlight the importance British people place on their pubs at the heart of their communities.
The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has developed the 'Our Pub' initiative off the back of its #MyPub campaign last year.
Its main function is to encourage pub customers, suppliers and staff to write to their local MPs, and call for the backing UK pubs need to thrive across the country.
"Our pubs are the fabric of our society," says Steve Alton, CEO of the BII. "They are not just places where people can have a pint, they are vital to communities, towns and high streets and are a unique attraction to locals, visitors and tourists alike.
"We can, and do, provide economic growth like no other sector, when we are supported with fair taxation, but the rises planned for April are a hammer blow to pubs across the UK. In order to survive, operators are having to cut costs wherever they can, and after five years of rising prices, the only option for many will be to cut jobs, open fewer hours, or leave their businesses altogether."
What's happening in April
In April, pubs and bars are facing a number of tax increases in the form of a 10% rise in National Insurance Contributions, a change in the relief given in NICs for part-time staff, the rise of National Minimum Wage, and, the BII says, a doubling of business rates for those who pay them.
"The government’s short-sighted approach to taxing small businesses to fill the black hole in the Budget will mean rising inflation, unemployment, lost investment in communities, and a heavier burden on the welfare and healthcare systems, which are already overstretched.
"We want every pub in the UK to share the message with their teams, customers and suppliers that Our Pub is too important to lose. We want a flood of emails to local MPs, forcing them to take the plight of every single local pub to Westminster, to show the huge importance the British people place on their pubs at the heart of their communities."
To get involved or learn more about the campaign, operators can visit the BII's website.
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