• UK publicans and brewers deliver demands from nearly 250,000 Long Live The Local supporters to Downing Street 
• Chancellor warned pubs are 'at tipping point', with one predicted to close every day this year - and 2,000 could close next year
• Government has two weeks to save cherished institutions in Budget by taking action on spiralling regulatory costs, British Beer and Pub Association says

LONDON, 12 November Publicans from across the UK marched on 10 Downing Street today with a giant pint glass and a clear message for the Chancellor ahead of the Budget: act now to save British pubs.

The call comes as the latest BBPA polling reveals pub closures are leaving people lonelier and more disconnected from their communities. More than half of Brits fear losing their local, while one in three say they or someone they know has felt increased loneliness after a pub closure.

Organised by the British Beer and Pub Association, the hand-in will deliver policy demands backed by nearly a quarter of a million supporters of the Long Live The Local campaign:

• Swift delivery of permanent and meaningful business rate reforms 
• Cut beer duty
• Take steps to mitigate huge regulatory cost increases currently facing pubs and brewers 

The BBPA says the stakes are high. More than 2,000 pubs have shut since 2020, and one is predicted to close every day in 2025 without urgent support. 

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said:

“The choice is simple. Cut the cost burden or watch communities lose their locals. We are here today carrying the message from 250,000 supporters who see that British pubs are at a genuine tipping point, and the government must take note of this unnecessarily perilous situation.

“Publicans have been pushed past what they can shoulder by spiralling costs, an unfair tax burden, and suffocating regulation. This is simply not sustainable.”

“Without immediate and meaningful action from the Chancellor, we will see thousands more community pubs close for good, taking vital jobs and local hubs with them.”

James Fitzgerald, publican at Thatched House in Hammersmith, said: 

“Running a pub today feels like facing rising costs at every turn. We can’t simply pass these increases on to our customers; they’re feeling the pinch too. Pubs are the beating heart of our communities, places where people come together, yet we’re fighting for survival. We need the Chancellor to hear us and give us a fair chance to keep our doors open.”

The BBPA is urging supporters to join Long Live the Local and email their MP before the Budget, calling for an overhaul of business rates, a duty cut in line with European averages and action on spiralling regulatory costs.