Pubs in Barnsley Are Dying — And Government Policy Is Making It Worse
Let us cut through the spin.
We are constantly told inflation is under control and that growth is coming. Yet across Barnsley, pubs are on their knees.
These are the places that keep our high streets alive. They give communities a reason to leave the house, support local jobs, drive spending in nearby shops and contribute significant tax revenue. Yet they are being taxed and regulated to the point of collapse.
This is not abstract economics. It is happening now in Barnsley.
When a pub closes, it is not just a business that disappears. It is a chain reaction.
No pint sold means:
🍺 No tax paid
🍽️ No meals eaten out
👕 No clothes bought for a night out
💄 No make up, no taxis, no gigs, no local spend
For every pound spent on a pint, many more pounds ripple through the Barnsley local economy. Yet national policy appears blind to that reality.
Pubs do not have deep pockets. They do not have global shareholders absorbing losses. They operate on tight margins and rely on loyal local customers.
Here is what is actually hurting pubs across Barnsley:
Business rates rising by around 30 percent
Pandemic business rates relief removed
Alcohol duty increases linked to inflation
Rising wages and energy costs pushed straight into prices
New property valuations that punish recovery instead of supporting it
Publicans are so angry that some have even barred senior politicians from their premises in protest. Not as a stunt, but out of desperation.
And what has been offered in response?
A token discount on rates that does not come close to offsetting the scale of the increases.
Let us be blunt.
There are only so many times customers in Barnsley will pay more for a pint before they stay at home. When they stay at home, pubs close. When pubs close, communities suffer, high streets decline and even the Treasury loses revenue.
No pubs means less social life.
Less social life means less local spending.
Less spending means less tax revenue.
This is not economic strategy. It is economic self sabotage.
As Independents in Barnsley, we are not interested in defending party narratives. We are interested in outcomes. And the outcome of current policy is clear for anyone who walks down a Barnsley high street.
As we approach the May 2026 local elections, residents and local businesses deserve honesty about what is happening and courage to challenge policies that are actively harming community life.
We have had enough spin. We will not be hoodwinked and we certainly will not stand for being gaslit ever again.
Pubs are not a problem to be squeezed.
They are part of Barnsley’s social and economic backbone.
Making common sense, common again — David Wood Unfiltered
Barnsley First Independent Group
