Thank you for getting in touch and for highlighting your support for CAMRA. I fully share your concern about the Welsh Government’s plans to remove the 40% business rates discount for pubs and breweries from April 2026. At a time when many pubs are already under real financial pressure, this change risks forcing otherwise viable businesses to close, with serious consequences for jobs, local economies and the social fabric of our communities.
Pubs play an essential role in tackling loneliness, bringing people together, and providing a safe and welcoming space for all. They deserve support, not additional burdens.
My colleague Samuel Kurtz MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Economy, will raise this issue in the Senedd on your behalf and continue discussing it with colleagues as we shape our 2026 manifesto. The Welsh Conservatives have already committed to restoring business rates relief to 75% for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector and to eliminating business rates entirely for small businesses, a far fairer approach that recognises the value of pubs in our communities.
Thank you again for contacting me. I will keep you updated on any response I receive.