CAMRA has set up a simple e-lobby tool to help members press their MP to join calls for extended support on energy bills for hospitality businesses, faster implementation of reforms from the alcohol duty review, a VAT cut for on-trade food and alcohol, and for the business rates system to be made fairer.

The Campaign has written to the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, setting out the scale of the crisis and asking him to support the licensed trade ahead of the Medium Term Economic Plan announcement he is making on 31 October. With this fiscal statement coming up, it’s vital that the UK government takes urgent action to support pubs, clubs, brewers, and cider makers through the cost-of-business crisis.

There isn’t much time to act. This is the biggest crisis faced by the licensed trade since the outset of the pandemic, and we need MPs to make the scale of this crisis clear to the government.

CAMRA is calling for four key steps to help keep the lights in the sector on this winter:

– a commitment that pubs, clubs, brewers, and cider makers will receive energy bill support for as long as they need it

– reforms to alcohol duty to be brought forward as quickly as possible

– a VAT cut for on-trade food and alcohol

– reform of the business rates system in England to remove the current unfair burden on pubs with funding for the governments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to do the same.

We know that we’ve asked you to contact your MP a lot recently, but even if you’ve written before, please take a minute to ask your MP to voice their support for the venues and producers we all love. Your email could make all the difference.

CAMRA is imploring you to contact your MP now, to ask them to support your pubs, clubs, brewers, and cider makers: https://camra.e-activist.com/page/112677/action/1

Following the recent announcement that Liz Truss has resigned as prime minister, CAMRA is continuing to keep our e-lobby open until we know more. The current situation facing pubs and brewers is serious and won’t stop while a new government forms.