Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to intervene and save pubs from going bust after new statistics revealed that one in four pubs (28 per cent) have ‘no or low confidence’ that they will survive the next three months.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said:   “Pubs are a hugely important part of our social and cultural fabric, and are community hubs often run by families for the love of the trade.   

“With so many pubs worried that they wont be able to survive the next few months of the pandemic, alarm bells should be ringing across government. 

“The Chancellor must take radical action: he must increase grants so they cover fixed costs during restrictions, guarantee that furlough will be extended for as long as pubs can’t operate properly, and provide an income for landlords so they can eat and provide for their families.

“Failure to act will leave a gaping hole in communities across the UK.”

• Fewer than one in five pubs (19 per cent) have ‘high confidence’ that they will survive the next three months—by contrast, for businesses generally the figure is 60 per cent.
• 28 per cent of pubs have ‘no or low confidence’ that they will survive the next three months—much higher than the comparable figure of five per cent for all businesses generally.
• 24 per cent of pubs have less than one month’s cash reserves, with ten per cent holding no reserves—much lower than the comparable figure of nine per cent for all businesses generally.