Melanie Ward MP: 'Supporting pubs is an investment in the glue that holds our communities together'

An evening down the local pub is a staple of our culture. Pubs are cornerstones of our towns and villages.

They are places to meet, talk, and be part of the community. Pubs like the Auld Hoose in Kinghorn not only provide a place for the community to gather but the wonderful team there actively work to make the community beyond its doors a better place.

Melanie Ward MP recently visited The Auld Hoose in Kinghorn. She's calling for government support for pubs in Scotland after the UK government announced a cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

placeholder image — Melanie Ward MP recently visited The Auld Hoose in Kinghorn. She's calling for government support for pubs in Scotland after the UK government announced a cut in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues.

I was proud to nominate the Auld Hoose for the UK Pub Aid Community Pub Hero Awards, and prouder still that they have been named the winner of the Community Fundraising Hero Scotland category. From Open Mic Nights to race nights, tea parties and free lounge space for local charities, the team in Kinghorn have built something that goes far beyond serving pints. They have built a lifeline for people who might otherwise go without company, all whilst raising vital funds for local causes like the Kinghorn RNLI, Kinghorn Community Library and Kinghorn Children’s Gala.

That is what a good pub does. It is not just a business. It is a meeting place, a support network and unfortunately, in many towns, it's one of the only places those support networks can meet.

That’s why it matters so much when pubs are squeezed by the economic situation. That is why I recently wrote to the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister, Jenny Gilruth MSP, calling on the Scottish Government to match action taken in England. In his first week as Prime Minister, Andy Burnham cut business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England by 20%, providing some vital breathing room for pubs at a time when international events are having a profound effect on energy bills.

Scotland receives Barnett consequentials (additional funding) from that decision, meaning the funding is there for the Scottish Government to pass on the same relief to venues here in Fife. So far, ministers have not committed to doing so. I do not think that is good enough; not when so many landlords and staff are working flat out just to keep their doors open, and not when our local pubs are proving, night after night, exactly why they are worth protecting.

Supporting pubs is an investment in the glue that holds our communities together. The Auld Hoose is one of many pubs in Fife which shows what that looks like in practice. I congratulate them once again on winning this national award.