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BBPA: Government immigration plans will provide huge challenge for pubs
The British Beer & Pub Association has responded to the Government’s announcement of a new points-based immigration system today. The new system will assign points for specific skills, qualifications, salaries or professions and visas will only be awarded to those who gain enough points. There will be no specific route for lower-skilled workers although the Youth Mobility Scheme will be continued. Skilled workers will need to meet a number of relevant criteria, including specific skills and the ability to speak English, to be able to work in the UK. All applicants will be required to have a job offer and, in line with the Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) recommendations, meet a minimum salary threshold. Commenting on the new points-based immigration system, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “The new points-based immigration system will present significant challenges for our sector. Many pubs rely on workers from overseas, so it is hard to see how they will cope with such fundamental changes coming into effect in just ten months. Pubs will especially struggle with the costs and complexities of becoming a sponsoring employer in order to take on staff from outside the UK. “The new points-based system should recognise the staff shortages our sector faces, therefore enabling talent coming to the UK to work in pubs by making up points elsewhere. We will continue to press our case with the Government to ensure they understand this need, so that the pub and hospitality sectors continue to thrive. We believe it is crucial that, for example, the Youth Mobility Scheme is now expanded to help facilitate this.”
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BBPA helps deliver letter from MPs imploring Chancellor to CUT beer duty
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has helped deliver a letter to HM Treasury, signed by 85 Conservative MPs, urging the Chancellor to cut Beer Duty in the upcoming Budget. The letter was delivered to the Treasury by Chairman of the All-Parliamentary Beer Group, Mike Wood, and Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall, with assistance from the BBPA and the Long Live the Local campaign. Mike Wood stated, “Beer Duty remains much too high. It is much higher than any other major beer-producing country in Europe. In fact, someone who bought a pint in each of the five other major beer-producing countries—Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Poland—would still have paid less duty on those five pints than they would on a single pint in Britain.” Sheryll Murray added, “I am delighted that so many of my Conservative colleagues are backing the Great British pub and calling on the Chancellor to cut Beer Duty at the Budget. The pub is a vital part of all of our communities and the best way to show our support for them is by reducing the tax burden on them.” Welcoming their support, Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, commented: “Over 250,000 pub goers have signed the Long Live the Local petition to cut beer duty and a further 130,000 have written to their MPs. It is great to see so many MPs understand how much their constituents want a cut in Beer Duty at the next Budget. The Chancellor now has a fantastic opportunity to take action.”
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BBPA welcomes extended pub hours for VE Day 75
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has welcomed the announcement that pubs in England and Wales will be able to open for longer to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day 75). The announcement comes after the BBPA led a campaign, including meetings with Home Office officials and letters to the Home Secretary, calling on the Government to extend pub hours for the national celebration. Extended pub hours for previous national occasions the BBPA has campaigned for include the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the most recent football World Cup, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Andrew Tighe, Policy Director for the British Beer & Pub Association, comments: “VE Day 75 will be a wonderful opportunity for the nation to come together at the heart of the local community, the great British pub. “It is great to see the Government listen to our calls to relax licensing hours for pubs on this special occasion. It will be warmly welcomed by all of those celebrating VE Day 75 to remember the people who gave so much during the war.”