In a regular series for What's Brewing, and the first of 2024, CAMRA shares the work that has been going on across Westminster, the devolved parliaments and local government in support of consumers, pubs and clubs.

The Campaign is kicking off the year in typical CAMRA style: passionately driving its campaigns, with plenty to keep staff and members busy, particularly with the upcoming Spring Budget, calling for government action in response to the loss of the Crooked House, Himley, and the recent Licensing Hours Extension Bill. 

Read on to discover what’s been happening in parliaments across the UK, updates on CAMRA and what its campaigners have been prioritising, and where to find more information on some of the current and previous campaigns.  

Here is an overview of what the campaigns and communications team has been up to in January and February: 

WESTMINSTER 

Spring Budget

Following the chancellor’s announcement at Westminster, the Spring Budget will take place on 6 March. 

CAMRA has called for a significant 20 per cent reduction in the duty charged on draught beer and cider, with the intention of benefiting consumers, pubs and small brewers.  

Ensuring CAMRA continues to push its other fiscal messages is important too. This includes a VAT cut for hospitality and changes to legislation to reverse the ban on takeaway sales involving draught duty-paid containers.  

The Budget e-lobby launched late January – thank you to everyone who has already taken part – as well as making an official submission to the Treasury. If you haven’t yet asked your MP to support pubs, social clubs, brewers, cider makers and consumers at the Budget there’s still time! Find everything you need here. 

Make it 20 campaign

As part of our campaigning for an increased draught duty discount, the team has been working closely with SIBA and the IFBB (Independent Family Brewers of Britain) on the Make it 20 campaign.  

CAMRA will be working collaboratively by issuing press releases, targeting campaigning among backbench MPs, plus a drop-in event for all MPs ahead of the Budget. 

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The team continues to attend meetings of DEFRA’s Drinks Industry Forum which looks at a range of policy issues and initiatives facing the sector.   

Department for Levelling Up, House and Communities – planning enforcement and the Crooked House

At the end of January, Gary Timmins (pub and club campaigns director), Paul Ainsworth (national planning policy advisor) and Ellie Hudspith (senior campaigns and communications manager) met with the recently appointed housing and planning minister Lee Rowley MP in the wake of the Crooked House scandal, to discuss our campaign asks to planning reform in England. This was a long-awaited meeting, having been rescheduled multiple times due to the previous government reshuffle.  

Work is still underway with the West Midlands Combined Authority to look at statutory listings for pubs with heritage value in the area, and it has secured additional funding to assist with fast-tracked applications.  

Read the press release here.

Licensing Hours Extension Bill

South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck is proposing this Private Members Bill in the House of Commons which is dedicated to introducing easier processes to extend licensing hours for special events. If she succeeds, this will become law later in the year. 

The bill came about due to the lack of time to implement extended hours in August 2023 when England reached the final of the Women’s Football World Cup,  

In the meantime, the Home Office is consulting on licensing extensions for Euro 2024 matches, click here to see the full details. CAMRA will be making a submission to this consultation. 

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT 

Scottish government Budget

On 19 December 2023, the Scottish government announced its Budget, with its relevant policy area being devolved responsibility for business rates.  

Our e-lobbying campaign for members in Scotland encouraged them to contact their MSPs for support for a 75 per cent discount rates for hospitality businesses, identical to those accessible in England and soon to be south of the border into 2024/25.  

This was a unified ask from both the industry and CAMRA members in Scotland, but sadly, on this occasion the Scottish government chose not to listen. The finance secretary announced:  

• a 100 per cent relief for hospitality businesses in island communities  
• no rates relief for mainland hospitality businesses (for the second year in a row)  
• a commitment to review issues with business rates in the hospitality sector as part of the New Deal for Business' Working Group.  

If you would like to see CAMRA’s response to the announcement from Scotland director Stuart McMahon, you can find it here: Budget shows Scottish Government doesn’t understand importance of pubs to our social fabric: CAMRA - CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale 

To push for support for the pub sector with business rates, CAMRA will continue to work closely with MSPs and via the Cross Party Group on Beer and Pubs. 

Minimum Unit Pricing

After announcing the increased minimum unit price for alcohol to 65p from 30 September, CAMRA is calling on the Scottish government to come up with an action plan to save the nation’s pubs.  

As always, CAMRA’s targeted support is aimed at pubgoers, which is why it firmly believes in policies like Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP), and a cut on tax – specifically in pubs – to encourage people to drink locally, as opposed to purchasing cheaper supermarket alcohol to drink at home.  

But crippling business rates, and the possible return of bans on Scottish alcohol advertising, jeopardises this campaign.  

CAMRA issued a response to the MUP increase from CAMRA’s Scottish director Stuart McMahon, which is available here. 

Once local pubs have been demolished, or converted into shops or flats, there’s no second chances, which is why the Scottish government needs to act fast. 

Cross Party Group on Beer and Pubs (secretariat service provided in part by CAMRA)

The programme of events for the Cross Party Group in the Scottish parliament have been confirmed, which includes a brewery visit, a potential inquiry into the cost of doing business and other networking events for group members. 

SENEDD CYMRU 

Welsh government Budget

Similarly to the Scottish government, the Welsh government published its draft Budget for 2024/25 on 19 December 2023. Responsibility for business rates is devolved, as in Scotland, which holds great interest for CAMRA. From April 2024, the current 75 per cent discount for Welsh hospitality businesses will be reduced to 40 per cent. 

CAMRA issued a response from regional director Chris Charters which is available here: CAMRA wants Welsh government re-think on business rates help to protect pubs from closure - CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale   

Cross-Party Group on Beer and Pubs (secretariat provided in part by CAMRA)

A brewery visit and networking event will take place at Mad Dog brewery in Cardiff. People will have the opportunity to lobby MSs about CAMRA’s key asks for improved support through the business rates system, and an introduction of planning protections for pubs against conversion or demolition. 

Northern Ireland Assembly   

The Northern Ireland Assembly is now back up and running. The campaigns and communications team is working with the Northern Ireland branch to contact new ministers, committee chairpersons and party spokespeople. 

Licensing review

The review of NI’s licensing system is continuing. CAMRA is looking into the possibility of holding its own small inquiry to present alternative findings if the official review does not present a balanced set of proposals.

Code of conduct

The Department for Communities is asking the industry to submit a draft code of practice for licensed premises in Northern Ireland. CAMRA is exploring the option of working with other organisations to submit a code that would not be regulated by the large global brewers which dominate the market in Northern Ireland.

NON-PARLIAMENTARY     

Pub of the Year presentation

Ellie Hudspith attended the Pub of the Year presentation at the Tamworth Tap, where local MP Sarah Edwards was in attendance as well as Eddie Hughes MP (Walsall North), who will be contesting the Tamworth seat at the General Election.  

PoliticsHome Podcast

Ellie also appeared on The Rundown, the PoliticsHome podcast, along with Charlotte Nichols MP (chair of the All Party Parliamentary Pub Group), Emma McClarkin (chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association) and Tony Sophoclides (director of strategic affairs at UKHospitality), to talk about the upcoming Budget. You can listen here. 

If you have any questions about how you can get involved with the current and upcoming campaigns, or want to know more about what CAMRA is getting up to, email the team at campaigns@camra.org.uk  

Over the coming months CAMRA will also be getting ready for the General Election, where CAMRA members across the UK will have a chance to engage with their candidates running for election to Westminster. While it is not known exactly when that will be, CAMRA aims to be ready when it happens!