PUBS are at the heart of communities right across Central Devon.

They are where people meet friends, share problems, find work, support local teams and charities, and look out for each other. When a pub closes it is not just a business that is lost but a vital community hub.

Recently I went behind the bar to hear directly from those running it, from the staff whose livelihoods depend on it and from customers.

The message was blunt. Costs are up, trade is fragile and government policy is making a hard job even harder.

They do not want subsidies or handouts. They want a fighting chance to succeed.

I have always believed in standing up for our locals not just in Westminster but on the ground.

Over the years I have worked with pubs across Central Devon, including helping the much loved Drewe Arms in Drewsteignton through difficult times.

I regularly visit pubs in our towns and villages to listen to landlords, chat with staff and hear directly from customers about what is really happening.

Across England and Wales nearly 300 pubs closed in 2024, which is around six every week.

That means thousands of jobs gone and hundreds of communities weakened. At the same time the total number of pubs has fallen to below 39,000 for the first time, a stark reminder that this is not a marginal issue affecting a few isolated places but a national trend that should alarm us all.

The current government has talked a good game on supporting hospitality but too often has failed to match that talk with action.

Business rates remain a huge burden for many pubs. Energy bills are still significantly higher than before the pandemic.

Decisions on National Insurance and employment law are now piling further costs on top, squeezing already thin margins and making investment and recruitment harder.

When I speak to landlords and staff they draw a clear link between what is happening in our labour market and what is happening in our pubs.

Nationally more than one fifth of working age adults are economically inactive, which is around 9 million people who are not in work and not looking for work.

At the same time businesses up and down the country struggle to recruit, cut opening hours or reduce food service because they cannot find staff.

This is where I believe the government is getting it badly wrong. A serious plan to help pubs has to start with a serious plan to get people off benefits and into work.

That means proper employment support, tackling long NHS waiting lists that keep many out of the labour market, improving skills and making sure work always pays.

If we can reduce inactivity by even a small amount, the savings in our welfare bill run into the billions. Those savings should be used in part to cut the taxes and costs weighing down on our pubs.

The Conservatives have set out a clear approach. Get more people into work, grow the economy, use the proceeds to ease the burden on hard pressed local businesses including pubs.

That is how we save cherished locals in Central Devon and across the country and keep them at the heart of our towns and villages for years to come.

Mel Stride

MP for Central Devon