Farage ‘death knell’ warning for rural pubs impacted by Starmer plan | UK | News
Pubs are facing a new attack under Labour’s plans to lower drink driving limits in England and Wales. Ministers are considering adapting the rules to Scotland, where a single drink could put a driver over their limit. The proposal, to be announced on Wednesday, is the Government’s latest move to threaten pubs following increases in business rates, the minimum wage and employers’ National Insurance that have brought some pubs to the brink of closure.
The new measure will particularly affect rural facilities that rely on customers to drive. On average, one pub will close every day in 2025, and almost 2,000 have closed completely in the last five years. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “This is the death knell for rural pubs in Britain. Labor has no connection to the workings of real life.”
The British Beer and Pub Association warned of the damage the move would cause to rural pubs in areas without public transport or reliable taxi services. A spokesman told The Telegraph: “The pub sector continues to face major challenges so any additional policy measures that would further impact trade would be a real concern, particularly for licensees in rural areas.”
Jonathan Neame, managing director of Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, said: “When communities lose pubs they are weaker as a result. I hope the Government will act sensibly and make a U-turn. The industry will not dwell on this issue. We have been saying we are overtaxed for years.”
Public activists demand tax cuts and aid measures
Public employees are demanding measures such as a reduction in employer national insurance premiums for accommodation businesses, a reduction in business rates against planned increases in April, a reduction in VAT and a freeze on beer duty to reduce costs passed on to customers.
Labour’s new road safety strategy includes plans to reduce the drink-driving limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, or 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath. Scotland lowered the blood alcohol limit to 50 mg in 2014 in an effort to reduce road deaths.
After an initial decline with the introduction of stricter drinking limits in Scotland, road deaths have risen again in the last four years, rising by 24 per cent by 2024, according to figures from HM Constabulary Scotland.
The latest move against pubs will be proposed despite landlords in open rebellion after Rachel Reeves announced an overhaul of business rates in the November Budget. A growing backlash against Labour’s attacks on pubs has resulted in MPs being banned from dozens of establishments across Britain; Ms Reeves was also banned from her neighborhood in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.
Despite high drink-driving limits, Britain’s roads are among the safest in Europe
The attack on pubs and motorists comes despite Britain’s roads being some of the safest in Europe. While the number of road deaths in Britain in 1972 was 7,763, in 2024 this number was 1,602. Alcohol-related crashes represent 17 per cent of all deaths on roads in the UK and cause around 300 deaths each year, compared to 25 per cent in the EU.
On Monday Sir Keir Starmer appeared to open the door to extra support, acknowledging that many pubs will be “struggled” with the new business rates changes and that the Government is “talking to the sector… about what further support we can give”.
But The Telegraph understands the Treasury has blocked new financial support for pubs, despite TV boss Tom Kerridge’s claims that Business Secretary Peter Kyle was “incredibly supportive” on the issue.
