A pub landlord has issued a stark warning that the British pub industry is being "absolutely destroyed from every single angle" with three million jobs at risk.
Kate Stewart told GB News that low-skill jobs are "going quicker than the blink of an eye" as publicans struggle against mounting pressures.
She explained: "Labour absolutely do not care about pubs. Because if they did action would have been taken and nothing is being done.
"We are being absolutely destroyed from every single angle. We are putting three million jobs at risk.
Kate Stewart told GB News that low-skill jobs are "going quicker than the blink of an eye"
GB News
"Low skill jobs are going quicker than the blink of an eye, and pub doors are closing for good because people cannot sustain the extra costs.
"We are up against energy costs. We are up against taxation. We are up against business rates. Everything is against the great British pub, which is at the heart of communities and always has been.
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"I don't know what the answer is anymore because there is no help being given.
"We've had this conversation time and time again, and it just feels that things are getting worse and worse and worse.
"I sometimes sit and think, I don't know how much longer I can keep the doors open."
The warning comes as new figures reveal hundreds of pubs closed their doors permanently last year.
Fresh figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) show that 289 pubs served last orders for a final time in England and Wales during 2024.
Around six pubs shut their doors for good every week, resulting in approximately 4,500 job losses across the industry.
London was the hardest hit region, with 34 pubs closing down over the year.
The closures come amid a perfect storm of economic challenges, with pubs facing higher borrowing costs and steep energy bills.
6 pubs a week closed last year amid rising costs
PAA continued squeeze on household finances, including rising mortgage and rent costs, has also impacted consumer spending at pubs.
The sector faces even more pressure from April 2025, when several cost increases linked to the October Budget will come into force.
These include higher National Insurance contributions and an increase in the minimum wage.
Many firms will also see their business rates discount for hospitality reduced from 75 per cent to 40 per cent in April.
