Overview
- Rachel Reeves said on BBC Breakfast that additional, temporary support for pubs will be announced in the coming days and weeks, with the focus kept on pubs rather than wider hospitality.
- VOA chief Jonathan Russell told MPs that around 13% of pubs — about 5,100 — have seen their rateable values roughly double, with the average pub up around one‑third, contradicting claims that ministers lacked that information.
- Industry group UK Hospitality warns that 2,076 venues could shut in 2026 without broader help, including an estimated 574 hotels, 540 pubs and 293 restaurants.
- Sector estimates suggest a typical independent pub faces about £1,400 more in year one and roughly £12,900 over three years, as April’s revaluation coincides with the tapering of Covid‑era discounts despite a £4.3bn transitional fund.
- Whitbread, owner of Premier Inn, told investors it expects about a £35m hit from the business‑rates changes set in motion at the autumn Budget.