The BII has today welcomed the announcement from the Prime Minister on the removal of all Covid restrictions in England and looks forward to the devolved governments implementing this across the whole of the UK.
The impact of nearly 2 years of closure and severe trading restrictions has been devastating for pubs in every community. The BII's 10,000 members, independently operating pubs across the UK, are looking forward to the next phase of their recovery, as they begin to rebuild their businesses.
Despite the removal of these trading barriers, they are now facing huge inflationary cost increases in their businesses, on top of repayments of pandemic specific debts at an average of over £40k per pub.
Trading levels remain subdued, but with this announcement, it is the hope of the BII that consumer confidence can now be once again restored, enabling the Great British Pub to thrive at the heart of every community.
Steven Alton, CEO of the BII commented, “Pubs are an integral part of our economy, providing vital local jobs and careers for people in every community across the UK.
“More than that, they provide safe social spaces for people to reconnect and come together. They remain critical to the future of communities and high streets, as they begin to rebuild after the pandemic.
“Their essential role in society has been formally recognised by the Chancellor in recent times, and we now look forward to his continued support to safeguard their futures. A continued low rate of VAT alongside a reduction in the ongoing unfair burden of Business Rates, will be critical.”