ON Monday, Labour’s Polly Billington invited Shadow Minister for Small Business, Toby Perkins MP down to Thurrock. After a tour of Deveralls Brewery in Grays they joined local landlords at the Traitors Gate, to talk politics over a pint.
Around eighteen pub close every week, meaning the loss of iconic community meeting places. But also with every pub gone it’s estimated that eleven jobs are lost and £80,000 is sucked out of the local economy.
Mr Perkin’s spoke about measure Labour have taken to make life easier for local publicans. Including introducing a clause to the Small Business Bill protecting independent pubs from larger pub owning companies. An amendment which Thurrock’s Conservative MP, Jackie Doyle-Price, voted against.
Polly Billington said, “Labour stood up to the government and used its influence in Parliament to make sure independent British Pubs got a fair deal. Toby was at the forefront of this campaign, it was a pleasure to show him round one of our local breweries.
"Too many pubs across our country are forced to close down. If was Thurrock’s MP I would support changes that would allow pubs to purchase a wider variety of beers at cheaper prices.”
