One pub shuts down every day - with 5,000 jobs expected to be lost by end of the year

Britain is losing pubs at a rate of around one a day – with more than 5,000 job losses expected by the end of the year.

Almost 300 businesses permanently closed their doors in the first nine months of the year, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

Pub operators blamed the latest round of closures on Labour's sky-high tax burden alongside regulatory costs in the sector.

Andy Burnham has promised to cut business rates by 20 per cent for pubs in England from next year, in a bid to relieve business owners.

However, the move may come too late for around 200 pubs if the current trend of closures continues.

As a new budget looms, landlords will nervously await news of any tax rises which could compound their misery.

New data from the BBPA showed that 295 British pubs shut their doors by the end of September since the start of the year. 

England saw 226 pubs close in total over the period, while 64 shut their doors in Scotland and five closed in Wales.

Within England, the South East and North West saw particularly high levels of closures, with 42 and 39 closures respectively.

The trade body estimated that around 360 pubs will permanently shut their doors by the end of the year.

This would result in around 5,000 job losses, with more than half of these roles being filled by under-25s, the BBPA said.

The pub sector has benefited from a 15 per cent discount to business rates for the current tax year, with a 20 per cent cut from next year.

Trade industry bosses said recent support will be a significant help but urged the Prime Minister to tackle other taxes and labour costs affecting business.

Despite some respite from the new Prime Minister, pubs are still recovering from the devastation caused by Rachel Reeves's tax bomb budget in 2025.

The then-chancellor added £322 million of business costs for pubs and breweries, leaving hundreds across the country to cut staff, raise prices or close their doors.

It also caused a dent in the pockets of punters, as the price of a pint soared above £10 in London for the first time. 

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said: 'When a local closes, the damage is felt far and wide.

'It's not just workers, communities, our heritage and high streets who lose out when a pub closes – the Treasury loses, on average, £200,000 in tax receipts every time a local calls last orders.

'The Prime Minister has pledged that the cavalry is coming, which is why we're asking Government to tackle the root of the problem through a permanently fair and sustainable rates burden, freezing beer duty, increasing draught relief and reviewing employment costs for under-25s.

'This will mean we can carry on keeping people in jobs, boosting the economy, and being at the heart of communities.'

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