‘It’s just not worth it’: Readers say Andy Burnham’s pub rates cut is too little, too late

A.ndy Burnham’s decision to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues by 20 per cent has divided the divide Independent Most readers agree with Tom Kerridge that the savings are too small to make any real difference to rising costs.

The new prime minister announced the policy this week as part of a wider initiative to ease the cost of living, promising around 32,000 hospitality businesses would benefit by an average of £1,100 a year.

However, some readers pointed out that this figure did little to reduce VAT, energy bills and business rates, which have soared in recent years; One likened the difference to little more than a gesture.

Others were more positive and welcomed the move as a real lifeline for pubs at risk of closure, while some questioned whether Burnham’s rush to announce early was serious policy or an attempt to build trust after a difficult road to Downing Street.

Here’s what you need to say:

This will just keep them on life support

For many bars, this will keep them on life support for a while longer. The tax burden is still much higher given the increase in business rates last year and the changes NI has made. It’s a nice move, but it doesn’t reverse the damage done.

Langley

This could save bars

The plan to cut business rates for pubs and various clubs by 20 per cent is a very welcome move and could prevent them from having to close their doors permanently. Eliminating the VAT element on electricity will be beneficial for everyone, especially those of us who are struggling to make ends meet.

It looks like Andy Burnham is already beginning to address some of the many problems in this country that require urgent attention. The promise to end homelessness has also been well received and it would be great if this plan were implemented in due course. It seems to me that Andy Burnham may have climbed the ladder as a ‘career politician’, which is the path they all choose, but he is already trying to make a positive difference to the population of this country.

JanetC

Pubs offer a service beyond alcohol

Good news. Locals are like community centers and welcome coffee drinkers reading a book, birthday celebrations, a quiet pint and a bet, meeting friends, live music lovers, sports followers, general gatherings and if they have a beer garden, it’s a good day, take a day off during the week and go there, the smug feeling doesn’t cover it.

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Keep Pubs Open, they provide a service, somewhere to go if you need to forget about things for a few hours or just need to be around people and that doesn’t have to mean alcohol.

leaf spot

The customer will not feel it

Nice gesture but it won’t be passed on to the customer and it’s a 4 per cent reduction in taxes – 20 per cent of 20 per cent – but it’s £7 a pint and it’s literally cheaper to drink out in Spain, Italy, Portugal than it is to have a beer at home in the UK, I’ll continue to order my beers from Amazon and spend all my money abroad when I go on holiday to get rewarded for the work I put in to get it Firstly, we rarely go out in the UK due to prices, including It’s not worth it, except for Wetherspoons sometimes.

Nicko

This is not good economics

This is not good economics. Bars and accommodation establishments are low-productivity businesses. Giving them constant tax breaks protects inefficient firms rather than encouraging investment and labor to move towards more productive areas of the economy. Subsidies are not the solution for long-term growth. And it’s hard to believe that these tax cuts will be paid for entirely by taxing vape shops and the like. Most likely the cost will fall on taxpayers or be added to government borrowing. Not good.

Musil

Why demonize e-cigarette stores but not alcohol?

Although I am a big fan of pubs, clubs and bars, this demonization of vape shops is wrong and harmful. Convenient, specialist vape shops have helped hundreds of thousands of people quit smoking and brought huge benefits to their communities. Alcohol is the most harmful drug in the country, leading to poor health, obesity, homelessness and violence, but Labor’s message is that alcohol is a huge contribution to society, while nicotine e-cigarettes, which reduce smoking, are a scourge. I am affiliated with a specialist e-cigarette shop and have helped thousands of people quit smoking; The solution to this is to license shops and root out dodgy dealers, not punish everyone.

AntAgain

Small gifts do not build trust

It’s no surprise that people are skeptical of Burnham’s sprinkling of little gifts. It looks like this will be like an advent calendar for its first week; Let’s see which coin is in the box each day. He will have to live with the lack of trust created by the strategy of putting himself in the Prime Minister’s post. People judge you by what you do, not what you say – Burnham and her allies like Streeting, Healey, Mahmood, Rayner and others have shown us their (lack of) character by giving us a year of disloyal backstabbing. That’s what happens, and trust is built little by little. People are now looking for something deeper in terms of principled and strategic leadership for real growth and change. Small PR-laden gifts won’t cut it.

Thinking

Burnham stands up for working people

In addition to being pro-working people, Burnham is also pro-business; Tom Kerridge’s job would still be £1,100 better off with the cut, a bonus Starmer will never provide. While campaigning in Makerfield, Burnham was asking voters to trust a policy that had often disappointed them. A Prime Minister has the choice of whether or not to earn that trust through what they offer, and Burnham has chosen to help with living expenses, no matter how small a step it may be. Don’t underestimate the little things; These are the little things that matter most to people, and hopefully there will be bigger things too.

Amy

Some of the comments in this article have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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