To bar or not to bar: that is the question.

I’ve been watching from the sidelines as, across the UK, a growing number of pub landlords are literally barring their local Labour MPs in protest against the business rates hike and rising National Insurance costs. It’s making headlines, but is it making sense?

Anyone who knows me knows I love a bit of theatre. But barring your local MP is like shouting at the weather – it might feel good, but you’re still going to get soggy.

The real fight isn’t at the door; it’s in the data. If we want the Government to listen, we need to stop being “the angry publican” and start being “the vital employer”. Let them in, give them a pint of something (preferably warm and flat) and show them the books instead.

It’s January 2026, and the “Hospitality Tax” narrative has shifted from a general moan about costs into a targeted, data-backed war against what us F&B lot call the “Triple-Tax Squeeze” of VAT, NICs and wages.

The Government has pitched its reforms as a “permanent tax cut” for the high street, but I’m calling it out as gaslighting – the “math” doesn’t add up for the average venue.

UKHospitality has released modelling showing that without a “hospitality-wide solution,” 2,076 venues (6 per day) are predicted to close in 2026. Hence, the “Barring MPs” movement – landlords are using their physical space to show politicians that “if we aren’t viable, you aren’t welcome.”

And don’t let the “5p discount” headline fool you – check your new Rateable Value now. If it’s jumped 30%, that “permanent cut” is actually a permanent bill hike. But you can fight back…

• Check: Confirm the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has the correct “ingredients” for your building. If they think your storage cupboard is a dining room, you’re paying for air. Raise a Check to fix factual errors immediately. It’s free and can be done before the April 1st deadline.
• Challenge: Dispute the actual value the VOA has put on your business. The VOA likes to look at 2024 – a year of post-COVID “revenge spending” – and pretend that’s your forever-normal. If your 2025/26 figures are lower because of the cost-of-living crisis, use that evidence to Challenge their optimism.
• Appeal: If the VOA rejects your Challenge, you take it to the Valuation Tribunal. I’ll be honest, this stage is slow (up to 18 months) and requires professional evidence. You must pay your bill in full while waiting, but you’ll get a refund plus interest if you win.

So, this January, my takeaway is – don’t get mad, get the data. I’ll see you at the barricades (or behind the bar, more likely) with a calculator in one hand and a very large glass of Malbec in the other.

And if my local MP doesn’t like it, she can get outta my pub.