Author: Guest

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is making its mark in the 2024 General Election by announcing its Manifesto and e-lobby campaign. As one of the UK’s most successful campaigning organisations, CAMRA is calling on its members up and down the country to lobby candidates in every constituency to make sure MPs elected in this election are committed to protecting and promoting thriving community pubs and great beer and cider. 

CAMRA’s Election Manifesto outlines six key campaigning priorities, these are:  

• Fair tax for beer and pubs. 
• More rights for beer drinkers and pub goers. 
• Access to market for small and independent breweries and cider producers. 
• Recognising traditional cask ale under UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 
• Better planning protections for pubs. [England-only] 
• Change the business rates system to make it fairer for pubs. [England-only] 

Election campaigns are a prime opportunity for politicians to be seen pulling a pint behind the bar of their local, but this doesn’t always translate into action that supports pubs, social clubs, brewers, cider makers, and consumers. CAMRA is asking for candidates to commit to the campaigning priorities outlined in its Manifesto, and back policy and legislation that can truly help the pub trade, brewers and consumers.  

To ensure that prospective MPs are pledging their support, CAMRA is enlisting its thousands of members to contact their local candidates to ask for their support for beer and pubs if elected. The e-lobby can be accessed here: https://action.camra.org.uk/page/151385/action/1 

CAMRA is also providing a campaign pack for members and pub goers to promote the manifesto and e-lobby, including election guidance and social media assets. As well as this, CAMRA will be providing resources for parliamentary candidates to pledge their support for beer, pubs and CAMRA’s key campaigning asks. 

As each party announces its manifesto, CAMRA will be commenting on them to let consumers know what is being offered to them. To keep up with all CAMRA comments, news and social go to our Media Centre. 

For more information on CAMRA’s Manifesto, as well as other resources and campaigning efforts, go to https://camra.org.uk/take-action/general-election-2024/ 

Responding to the publication of the Liberal Democrats General Election manifesto, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: 

“It is encouraging to see commitments to overhauling the broken business rates system in England which is desperately needed to help save our pubs, as well as on strengthening powers to allow community assets like pubs to be protected and introducing a dedicated Minister for Hospitality and Tourism. 

“Whilst the devil will be in the detail, the Liberal Democrats plans to replace the current business rates system with a new Commercial Landowner Levy based on land value rather than entire capital value could see more proportionate business taxes for the hospitality sector in many parts of the country and an end to the current system which disincentives investment in pubs. 

“It is vital that the next Government radically reforms the business rates system to stop pubs overpaying by around £500 million each and every year – and to make sure online businesses pay their fair share compared to bricks and mortar businesses like much-loved community pubs. 

“CAMRA looks forward to working with Lib Dem parliamentarians and those of all parties in the next Parliament to make sure that business rates and community ownership policies better support and protect the nation’s much-loved locals.” 

Responding to the publication of the Green Party of England and Wales’ General Election manifesto, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: 

“CAMRA welcomes the Green Party’s continuing commitment to reducing VAT for the hospitality sector alongside their proposals to review planning regulations to protect the night-time economy and give local councils the powers to exempt socially essential local enterprises from paying business rates – which we would argue should definitely apply to pubs which are a vital part of our social fabric. 

“We look forward to working with Green parliamentarians and with the next UK Government to explore how these ideas could be implemented to safeguard pubs and social clubs at the heart of community life up and down the country. 

“This should include cutting the rate of VAT specifically on beer and cider sold in pubs in recognition of their community value, including for traditional ‘wet-led’ pubs that do not serve food. This would help to reduce the rate of pub and brewery closures which deprive consumers of their much-valued locals.” 

Responding to the publication of the Conservative Party General Election manifesto, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: 

“It is encouraging to see the Conservative manifesto reconfirming the party’s commitment to the new system of alcohol taxation and the lower rate of duty charged on draught beer and cider served in our pubs, social clubs and brewery taprooms – so that tax on pints in pubs is always lower than that on supermarket alcohol. 

“CAMRA is calling on the next UK Government to commit to extend the discount on tax for draught beer and cider to turbocharge this new alcohol duty system and give consumers, local pubs and independent breweries the boost they need to survive and thrive. 

“Committing to extending the Community Ownership Fund is also a welcome pledge which would make sure that local groups can access funding they need to save their local pub as a community hub if it is under threat of closure, conversion or demolition.  

“In addition, the Conservative proposal to review the night-time economy in England with a view to reversing the decline in pub numbers would provide an opportunity to show how transforming tax, regulation and planning laws could help save the nation’s much-loved pubs being lost to the communities they serve.” 

Responding to the publication of the Labour Party’s General Election manifesto, CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: 

“CAMRA members will be pleased to see that Labour’s manifesto includes a commitment to change the outdated business rates system to make it fairer between online enterprises and bricks and mortar businesses like pubs which are massively penalised in the current system.  

“Any changed system must make sure that pubs no longer pay a disproportionate share of rates and that a new, fairer business rate regime recognises their community value to help keep our locals open and thriving as a vital part of our social fabric.

“Whilst it does not feature in the manifesto, CAMRA looks forward to working with Labour MPs in the next Parliament to develop their policy for a ‘community right to buy’ giving local communities in England a right in law to have first refusal on buying privately-owned community assets which would be a gamechanger for people who want to save and take over the running of their local pubs if they are under threat of closure, conversion or demolition.” 

Laura Hadland wins CAMRA’s Campaigner of the Year 2024 award

Drinks writer Laura Hadland (pictured above) has been awarded CAMRA’s top campaigning award at the organisation’s Members’ Weekend, AGM and Conference in Dundee. Her nomination spoke of a long list of impressive achievements this year, particularly her commitment to inclusiveness, responsible drinking and her work championing small producers and venues.

Laura was a key voice in calling national attention to the destruction of the Crooked House through her blog, interviews about pub protection for local radio stations across the country, and on social media. The Crooked House case began in August of last year, when the famously wonky 260-year-old pub near Himley in the West Midlands was heavily damaged in a fire and then abruptly bulldozed without authorisation by its new owners. Through Laura’s campaigning, more people were made aware of this scandal and in February the owners were ordered to rebuild the pub.

Laura has since written about the Crooked House fire for CAMRA’s online magazine What’s Brewing where she is a regular contributor on everything from ‘Digital Breweries’ to ‘The Golden Age of Cider and Perry’.

Her nomination also praised her work on her award-winning book, 50 years of CAMRA where members’ stories and memories of CAMRA were recorded. The nominator highlighted that this research preserved oral histories which would otherwise have been lost.

The award also recognised for her championing of cask beer, introducing it to new audiences through her advocacy, and by hosting beer-tastings including the first ever dedicated cask tasting at Ludlow Slow Food Festival last summer. She is a beer judge for prestigious national and international competitions, including the Champion Beer of Britain, SIBA and Great Taste awards and a trusted voice in the world of food and drink.

CAMRA Campaigning Awards Director Laura Emson said:

“Laura was the clear winner, even with all the other fantastic nominations this year. Her campaigning has been a fantastic help in raising awareness for the Crooked House scandal as well as consistently putting her voice out there via local radio stations to help protect our pubs.

“It’s a pleasure to formally recognise her hard work and dedication to making sure that pubs are protected in this most challenging of times for the industry.

“This Campaigner of the Year Award is a testament to the positive impact that Laura has had on the industry, and I look forward to seeing her work in the years to come.”

Accepting the award, Laura Hadland said:

“A huge thank you for bestowing this amazing honour on me. It’s just wonderful how I’ve been welcomed into the CAMRA community.

“Back in 2019, when I first got the commission to write 50 Years of CAMRA, I never expected that my involvement with the organisation would really become so all consuming, but it’s just a huge part of my life now.

“I hope that that we can all keep spreading the good word about cask ale. I think there is loads of great work we can all continue to do, and it’s really, really kind that you’ve recognised the work that I have been doing up until now. I hope that all of you within CAMRA keeps supporting diverse voices, talking about great beer.”