Our traditional British pub is under threat. Adding to existing pressures, from April they will have the added costs of increased employers National Insurance rising from 13.8% to 15% and the lowering of the threshold it is paid from £9,100 to £5,000.
Sadly, pubs are closing down every week across our country. The data I’ve seen says that in 2024, an average of just over one pub per day closed down in England and Wales, with the number of pubs falling below 39,000 for the first time. I’ve noticed we have less neighbourhood pubs in Crawley than we used to.
We can’t take our pubs for granted and even if the Labour Government won’t do anything to support them, they could at least try to stop making life more difficult for them. Regrettably, they’ve now done exactly that as their MPs voted last week for a controversial new bill that could see an end to banter in pubs.
A small clause in the Employment Rights Bill could have a devastating effect on the free speech we did take for granted, as bar staff will be forced to police casual conversations and jokes. Clause 18 of the Bill demands “reasonable steps” by staff to prevent harassment of protected characteristics by customers. While of course no one wants any harassment, this could easily mean that anyone in a pub making a joke among friends could be in breach of the law and staff would be responsible for reporting it. I want our police focussing on real crime and not having to spend time processing reports of ‘John down the pub telling a bad joke’,
Now I know the Labour Party are a pretty miserable bunch, but must they really make Crawley pub goers and staff worry about what people say to each other in conversation while unwinding in the pub? If people can’t relax and speak freely in pubs, then they may stay home where Labour haven’t (yet) curtailed free speech. This Clause 18 needs revoking or revising. We don’t need any more reasons why people might not visit their local pub.
Sadly, pubs are closing down every week across our country. The data I’ve seen says that in 2024, an average of just over one pub per day closed down in England and Wales, with the number of pubs falling below 39,000 for the first time. I’ve noticed we have less neighbourhood pubs in Crawley than we used to.
We can’t take our pubs for granted and even if the Labour Government won’t do anything to support them, they could at least try to stop making life more difficult for them. Regrettably, they’ve now done exactly that as their MPs voted last week for a controversial new bill that could see an end to banter in pubs.
A small clause in the Employment Rights Bill could have a devastating effect on the free speech we did take for granted, as bar staff will be forced to police casual conversations and jokes. Clause 18 of the Bill demands “reasonable steps” by staff to prevent harassment of protected characteristics by customers. While of course no one wants any harassment, this could easily mean that anyone in a pub making a joke among friends could be in breach of the law and staff would be responsible for reporting it. I want our police focussing on real crime and not having to spend time processing reports of ‘John down the pub telling a bad joke’,
Now I know the Labour Party are a pretty miserable bunch, but must they really make Crawley pub goers and staff worry about what people say to each other in conversation while unwinding in the pub? If people can’t relax and speak freely in pubs, then they may stay home where Labour haven’t (yet) curtailed free speech. This Clause 18 needs revoking or revising. We don’t need any more reasons why people might not visit their local pub.
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