Government's 'pitiful' attempts to save pubs are fuelling Britain's loneliness epidemic, expert warns

Speaking to LBC, the British Beer and Pubs Association (BBPA) called on the Government to take drastic action to prevent the mass closure and stem the tide of loneliness across the UK.

Research from the BBPA shows loneliness has returned to levels seen only during the Covid lockdowns and that two-thirds of Brits see pubs as a crucial factor in bringing people together.

It comes as the Government has warned a pub could close every day in 2025 if action isn’t taken soon.

Read more: Local pubs can solve Britain's loneliness problem

“Pubs play a key role in local communities, particularly in areas which are isolated, often socially deprived,” Professor Philip Howell of Cambridge University told us.

“Rural pubs are particularly important to those local communities, but everywhere they tend to be a focus of community and neighbourhood life.

“And there's some really good research, academic research, which suggests that actually pubs do play a role in maintaining social cohesion, keeping communities together.”

Pubs are central in creating a sense of community and building cohesion across the UK, especially for older male citizens, Professor Howell added.

“Well over a million older people in the UK suffer from severe loneliness and pubs are really a lifeline to them.

“They're places for meeting, of course, friends, family, they play a role in sort of knitting those people together.

“And we shouldn't underestimate the kind of social service that pubs provide in different areas to different people.”

Labour’s attempts to protect British pubs are “pitiful”, Professor Howell added, as he called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use her Budget to ensure closures end.

Labour’s attempts to protect British pubs are “pitiful”, Professor Howell added, as he called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use her Budget to ensure closures end.

“Some of the measures that have been mentioned, like the ability to stay open longer, are pitifully inadequate, frankly,” he said.

“There was a small reduction in beer duty earlier this year, but effectively that means a penny, a couple of pennies off the price of a pint.

“And really, this is sort of fiddling while Rome burns.

“We really need much more support for institutions that provide an enormous amount of money to the treasury and to other social services through taxes.”Professor Howell warned the upcoming revaluation of business rates could spell the end for hundreds of pubs across the country if Ms Reeves doesn’t take radical action soon.

A key problem is those in power seeing pubs simply as places that serve alcohol, but this is no longer the case, he said.

In fact, pubs across the UK are more inclusive than ever, welcoming Brits from a multitude of backgrounds.

I'm realistic about what pubs are and pubs have historically appealed to particular demographics. Sometimes they haven't been as inclusive as they could be, but actually pubs are very different from years gone by.

“They're much more inclusive and they're a fantastic place to meet.

“My treasured recent memory is going into a pub in Cambridge and seeing a bunch of almost by the book, diverse young people playing Dungeons and Dragons on tessellated iPads. And I so wished I was one of them.

“To me, that was a beautiful vision of different, not non-traditional, but just great to see young people appreciating what pubs can do.”

In a message to Brits on the fence about going to pubs, he said: “It's not use it or lose it. I don't think that's fair on pubs because I think the Government and authorities need to do more to appreciate pubs.

“But get out, try them and see what pubs do these days. And it's not just a place to drink.”

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, added: “This polling confirms that for many, the local pub is a lifeline, not a luxury, and the loss of a pub can have a real and devastating impact. It's made all the more concerning given our prediction that one pub will close every day this year, with heavy tax and regulatory costs often at the heart of why they’ve been forced to shut.

“The Government must use this once-in-a-generation Budget to reset and reform the unfair tax burden and costs, which would help pubs keep their doors open and continue to fend off loneliness, which is affecting so many.”