Scotland's shocking pub closure figures show the industry is definitely not crying wolf

If a Finance Secretary or Chancellor is to be worth their salt, they must necessarily adopt a hard-nosed approach to requests for tax cuts or extra spending. Special pleading should always be treated with a healthy dose of scepticism if the public purse is to be protected.

However, a descent into outright cynicism must also be avoided. Sometimes, complaints about government policies are genuine and justified, and ignoring pleas for help risks causing real problems.

The plight of Scotland’s pubs is unquestionably one such case and there is no better evidence for this than the figures we report today. According to an analysis by the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, using the non-domestic rates database, the trade has been experiencing a long-term and serious decline.

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Some council areas have seen the number of pubs decrease by as much as 60 per cent (Picture: Kirsty O'Connor) | PA

Shocking declines

In 2010, there were 4,873 pubs in the country but, as of last year, that total had fallen to 4,270. The loss of just over 600 pubs shows the industry is not crying wolf and really is struggling to cope with rising costs and a high tax burden.

The declines were shockingly sharp in several areas. Shetland lost more than 60 per cent of its pubs, while East Renfrewshire (down 52 per cent), East Dunbartonshire (down 45 per cent), Aberdeen (down 18 per cent) and Edinburgh (down 17 per cent) also saw significant decreases. Dundee was one of the few places where the number actually went up, with a net gain of 16 pubs.

Thankfully, last week saw the Scottish Government agree to raise business rates relief for some premises to 40 per cent for the next three years, subject to a £110,000 cap per business.

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‘Economic catastrophe’

However, while the Scottish Hospitality Group welcomed this “limited progress” – saying they appreciated lobbying of the SNP by Liberal Democrat Jamie Greene on the issue – they added that “the only way to avoid an economic catastrophe is to halt any rates increases” while a review is carried out.

Even if pubs were ordinary businesses, the situation would warrant close government attention and considerable efforts to arrest any further decline. But, as we all know, they also perform a vital social function, particularly in rural communities where they may be the only place where people can gather in large numbers.

With a warning this week from one brewer that £10 pints could soon become commonplace, Scotland’s pub crisis is far from over. We must not let it continue.