The average price of a pint in London is set to hit £6.06, almost £1 over the national average. Our pubs urgently need business rates reform to save jobs and boost growth, says Emma McClarkin

British pubs have been hit as hard as any business by the government’s economic policies, and it’s starting to cost punters dearly. With new taxes and costs hitting this month, the average price of a London pint is set to leap over the six pound mark, to £6.06 – almost a pound over the national average (£5.13).

If you work in the City that might not sound too bad. Drinkers in the Square Mile pay some of the highest prices in the city, and the £6.06 average covers all venues throughout Greater London. But the fact is costs have soared everywhere, from Kingston to Queen Street, flying up by 21p, or four per cent, on pint prices in March.

There’s no mystery why. For months, the hospitality industry has been hurtling towards a “cliff edge”. We haven’t been quiet about this at the British Beer and Pub Association. Given we represent the voice of 20,000 pubs around the country, it’s our........

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