Douglas McAllister MP

@douglasmcallister.bsky.social

650 Followers 116 Following

Scottish Labour Member of Parliament for West Dunbartonshire📍 For enquiries, email: douglas.mcallister.mp@parliament.uk✉️

Dear Deputy First Minister, This week, the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has taken action to cut the business rates bills for pubs, social clubs and live music venues. His announcement today sets out that pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England will receive a 20% cut to their business rates bills from April next year, saving the typical pub an average £1,100 a year. This announcement is in addition to the 15% cut which came into force in April this year for these venues across England. This offer to the businesses which make up the social fabric of our communities has not been fully passed on in Scotland, despite the associated Barnett consequentials for the Scottish block grant. According to evidence given to the APPG on the nighttime economy in 2025, these industries in Scotland are £200 million of state assistance behind their equivalents in England, purely because the Scottish Government has not passed on the Barnett consequentials to the sector in Scotland. In 2025, one pub every single week in Scotland permanently closed its doors. These businesses, which form the backbone of our communities, have been fighting for survival for too long. We write to you as representative of Scottish constituencies to ask one simple question: Will you commit to passing these savings on, in full, to Scottish pubs, social clubs and live music venues? We would welcome a meeting with you to discuss the importance of this decision to the businesses in our constituencies.