Portsmouth and Hampshire MPs pressure the government to offer more support to pubs

This was published in the Portsmouth News: https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/business/portsmouth-and-hampshire-mps-pres…

AS LANDLORDS across the area call for help, MPs say they are putting pressure on the government to offer more support to stricken pubs.

Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond said she would support a reduction of beer duty and an extension of VAT cuts – two key asks of the ailing pub and brewery sector.

She said: ‘I have written to the business secretary asking him to reconsider letting pubs sell takeaway alcohol during lockdown and I am still lobbying for the government not to change Small Brewers’ Relief so that our local breweries can continue to flourish.

‘However, the pandemic has hit our pubs harder than almost any other part of the hospitality sector even with generous government support in the shape of furlough and Covid loans and grants.’

Meanwhile, Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North, is continuing to use local case studies to lobby the Treasury for more support.

She said: ‘For as long as restrictions are in place, businesses need support and I have been making that case to Treasury, using information given to me by local businesses. We have a huge variety of firms in the area and I am keen that the council uses all the funding and discretion it has to support those firms. Landlords and manager have done an incredible job to keep going.’