After weeks of campaigning for pubs, pints and people, the General Election is over, and Labour has taken over as the new UK government.  

CAMRA’s Campaigns and Communications team had a busy time in the run up to the vote, preparing members and branches on how to fight for pubs, consumer rights and all things beer and cider.  

To ensure members – our true voices when dealing with consumer rights – had their say, CAMRA introduced a General Election e-lobby, which directed them through a simple email process, targeted at their candidates to discuss their concerns from a pub-goer’s perspective. Educating candidates on what’s going on in the industry was crucial, so elected MPs can bring these concerns into their new roles, and hopefully implement positive change. 

It was important for CAMRA, and its members, that candidates in every constituency heard our concerns to protect and promote every pub, social club, brewery and cider producer throughout the UK, to help them survive and thrive.  

More than 10,000 emails were sent to UK candidates, with the following constituencies sending the most: Gedling, Rushcliffe and Norwich South in England; Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, Aberdeen South, and Edinburgh East and Musselburgh in Scotland; and Clwyd North, Newport East and Gower in Wales. 

Alongside our e-lobby campaign, we released press comments in response to party manifestos where they contained policies relevant to pubs and consumers. It was important that our members, as well as other UK consumers, knew exactly what each party could offer them. 

As well as publishing our reactions to party manifestos, the team compiled CAMRA’s own manifesto of asks to ensure candidates were knowledgeable about policy and legislation, and shared a similar passion for pub-goers and their right to a fair service. 

Our asks for the UK were:  

– improved consumer rights on where drinks behind the bar come from and who owns the brand, overall, offering more choice for pub-goers  

– access to market for small and independent beer and cider makers as opposed to a market that is dominated by larger organisations 

– the right to fairer tax by maximising the benefits of the new draught duty rate by extending the difference between tax paid on beer and cider in the pub and in off-licences and supermarkets, as well as a VAT reduction on beer and cider sold in the on-trade. 

Asks for England-only were:  

– an improved planning protections and enforcement for viable and valued pubs and social clubs that face unwanted demolition or conversion without serious and consistent consequences 

– full review of business rates to fix the unfair overpayment by the pub sector, with an emphasis that online businesses pay their fair share compared to businesses like pubs and social clubs.  

The Campaigns and Communications team continues to work with devolved governments and parliaments in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to push for improvements to the planning and business rates systems in those countries. 

After the ballots were counted and the new government announced, CAMRA released a press comment welcoming Labour into its new role, demonstrating our enthusiasm in working alongside the party and to see its five-point plan to “end the decline of British locals”.  

It also gave us an opportunity to emphasise our manifesto asks. 

The hard work continues as the team set up post-election plans, with endorsement from our Campaigns and Communications Committee. Engagement with MPs and new government ministers is crucial, along with preparation for party conferences that will take place in September, and getting ready for a Budget which is expected to be announced in autumn. 

While the election may be over, it is vital CAMRA and our branches build relationships with MPs. With this in mind, a template letter has been sent to all branches, stating the significant positive contribution pubs, social clubs, brewers, and cider and perry producers impact the UK’s economy, culture and society to encourage branch members to write to their MPs. Members can use their log-in to access the members section of the website, where the template is available in the General Election 2024 section of the Campaigns Hub. 

If you want to make a difference for pubs, pints and people - it’s not too late! Have your say and join us by contacting your local MP. We’ll keep members and branches updated about engagement with the new UK government and new MPs. 

Tori Wood is an assistant in CAMRA’s Campaigns and Communications team