At Carlsberg UK, we believe that the pub plays a critical role in our society and shared identity. Open to all, they are in every sense the heart and soul of our communities. And each year we invest our time and energy to help support our local pubs through an industry-wide initiative called Long Live the Local – the campaign to cut beer tax. 

We do this because every day, all year, despite the headwinds; publicans across the country face into the constant challenge to stay open and relevant. They do this whilst knowing that three pubs shut their doors for good every day in the UK. They do this because they too believe that the pub can be the center of thriving communities.

But that is under threat. British beer drinkers pay some of the highest beer tax rates in Europe, at 54p per pint, six times higher than the European average. And when coupled with the effects of VAT and business rates, British pubs are being forced to operate under significant pressure. 

According to the BBPA, during a period of beer duty rises between 2008-2013, beer sales declined by 24% in pubs, 5,000 pubs closed and 58,000 jobs were lost. This August, we need to ensure the new Chancellor Sajid Javid, understands that before he sets his Autumn budget.

Here are some of the things you can do to ensure that the Chancellor understands just how important our pubs are to the UK economy and society.

Sign the beer tax petition - Go to www.longlivethelocal.pub/carlsberg and sign the petition for a cut in beer duty
Generate an MP message – Take the extra step after you have signed the petition to send an automated message to your local MP encouraging them to speak up for pubs across the UK. It takes less than two minutes.
Spread the word - Follow Long Live the Local on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and post about the campaign on Facebook and Twitter, using #longlivethelocal. Talk to your friends and family about the importance of the pub closest to you for the community that you live in.

#longlivethelocal