Farage promises cheaper pints and £3bn tax cuts to save British pubs if Reform wins
As part of Mr Farage's five-point plan, the hospitality sector would see a 10 per cent reduction in VAT and the scrapping of the employer national insurance increase brought in by Labour
Nigel Farage has unveiled plans to save British pubs at risk of closure with £3 billion of tax cuts funded by reinstating the two-child benefit cap.
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The Reform UK leader said boozers across the country "matter", amid warnings that thousands will have to close because of the levy hikes announced by Rachel Reeves in her Autumn Budget.
As part of Mr Farage's five-point plan, the hospitality sector would see a 10 per cent reduction in VAT and the scrapping of the employer national insurance increase brought in by Labour.
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The cuts would be funded by the re-introduction of the two-child benefit limit for everyone except "British working families" - defined as households with two British parents working full time.
Farage also promised to cut beer duty by 10 per cent and abolish business rates for all pubs if Reform wins the next election.
He went on to claim the proposals could take a pound off the cost of a pint during his press conference in a pub on Tuesday.
"What is happening to our pubs, what is happening to our hospitality sector, is little short of a disaster," he said.
"They're on the edge of falling off a cliff. It's serious. It's very, very serious."
Last week, the Chancellor announced a £100million rescue package for struggling landlords, meaning they would get 15 per cent off their business rates next year, with that amount frozen for two years after that.
British pub numbers have been dwindling for decades, falling from 69,000 in 1980 to 46,350 in 2021, according to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
In 2025, at least a thousand pubs shut, the equivalent of five a day, the Campaign For Real Ale said.
Many owners say they are having to put up costs due to increasing business rates, duty increases, wage and tax rises, and new waste regulations.
UKHospitality, which represents, pubs, restaurants and hotels, said April's increase in the minimum wage added £1.9billion to staff costs and changes to business rates have added another £500million, taking the overall extra bill last year to £3.4billion.
It also estimated that the Reeves' Budget added £1billion in extra national insurance cost.
Mr Farage's announcement came as Cabinet minister Pat McFadden told MPs removing the two-child benefit cap is about "ensuring that children have the chance of a better life".
The Work and Pensions Secretary told MPs: "People should have the chance to make the best life they possibly can – poverty is a barrier to that ambition and it makes it much harder for people to achieve their full potential."