Tax relief for pubs but not pharmacies

The Treasury has announced that every pub and live music venue in England will get 15% off its new business rates bill from April 2026.

And whilst few of us might begrudge the hospitality sector (and especially local pubs) the proposed relief, some have questioned why similar measures should not be extended to community pharmacies, themselves struggling from recent cost and tax increases.

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, was reported in the Guardian as saying the increase in rates for its members would push some ‘to the brink of collapse… It’s simply outrageous that the government should offer business rate relief to pubs but ignore pharmacies that play a vital health role’.

It’s a fair point, especially as the community pharmacy sector is often spoken of by the government as a knight on a white charger riding to the rescue of a beleaguered NHS.

Why have hospitality and pubs (in particular) been singled out for preferential treatment? Probably because the hospitality lobby is highly effective at representing itself, and the media loves a ‘struggling pub’ story. Too often perhaps, such political decisions are led by media coverage, rather than what might work best for all sectors.

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