Landlord Martin Barnes behind the bar pumps (Image: handout)

       Two-pub owner Martin Barnes says this new Budget will see his bills rocket by tens of thousands of pounds every year.

       Martin, 40, runs two separate pubs in rural Cheshire but said he was particularly "disappointed" Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision over business rates.

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       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

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       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

       Comments

       Labour has delivered a large-scale tax-raising Budget

       Comments

       'I've run a pub for 4 years - Rachel Reeves' budget is going to destroy us!'

       Comments

       Autumn Budget 2024: Full list of predictions as Rachel Reeves' announcement edges closer

       Comments

       What time is the budget? Exact time Rachel Reeves will announce changes on Wednesday

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves is about to shun the elephant in the room - voters shouldn't be fooled

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves confirms minimum wage will rise to new high in boost for millions

       Comments

       Martin Lewis issues National Insurance warning to shoppers after ￡615 Budget increase

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       Rachel Reeves' Budget set to clobber working people with one key rule change, experts warn

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       Rachel Reeves accused of broken election promises after devastating ￡40 billion tax raid

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       Rachel Reeves' mask just dropped in Budget giveaways that show she's an economic vandal

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       Pension savers over 55 warned against 'big mistake' ahead of Rachel Reeves' budget

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves' mask slips as she shows true colours in 'sneering' Budget speech

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       Martin Lewis addresses Winter Fuel Payments and WASPI compensation blow in Budget

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       Labour's high-tax Budget has imposed additional pressures and squeezed bottom lines

       Comments

       Why Rachel Reeves' Budget will fail to deliver on Labour Party's central promise

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       Labour's Budget will push up taxes for most people, ex-Bank of England chief warns

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       Rachel Reeves set to launch blistering inflation Budget blow to one key sector

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       Rachel Reeves' Budget sends markets wild as nightmare graphs expose total disaster

       Comments

       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

       Comments

       Labour has delivered a large-scale tax-raising Budget

       Comments

       'I've run a pub for 4 years - Rachel Reeves' budget is going to destroy us!'

       Comments

       Autumn Budget 2024: Full list of predictions as Rachel Reeves' announcement edges closer

       Comments

       What time is the budget? Exact time Rachel Reeves will announce changes on Wednesday

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves is about to shun the elephant in the room - voters shouldn't be fooled

       Comments

       Rachel Reeves confirms minimum wage will rise to new high in boost for millions

       Comments

       He currently benefits from 75 per cent rate relief – part of the last Government’s post-Covid recovery plan. And he was desperate for that to continue past next April. Instead he will get just 40 per cent relief.

       He told the Daily Express: "Labour have said they are committed to Business Rates reform in the following financial year – but in the meantime they shouldn’t have done anything.

       "It’s not as bad as it could be but it’s still going to mean we have to make cuts in other areas.

       "I think we’ve reached the glass ceiling in terms of what we can pass onto our customers."

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       Martin took over the tenancy of The George and Dragon in Holmes Chapel in 2010 with his parents – just two years into the financial crisis.

       In 2018 they decided to buy as well – and purchased the Antrobus Arms in Antrobus.

       The increase in the minimum wage and Employer’s National Insurance contributions will also be costly for the family-run firm – which pays over 40 staff at peak times, many of them part-time.

       He said: "The Employer’s Allowance is being increased but the point at which we pay employer’s NI is being lowered quite dramatically to ￡5,000.

       "In our industry we have a number of part time workers so that will disproportionately affect hospitality.

       "We will have to manage our hours so that nobody loses their job- but on the whole I anticipate our labour bill will increase."

       As for the ‘penny off a pint’ that will affect the price the brewery pay but that may not get passed onto publicans, he said. And if it isn’t it definitely won’t be passed onto customers.

       He added: "That decrease is applied at the brewery, not at the pub. My expectation is that won’t affect us. I don’t think it will bring prices down."

       The price of soft drinks will also go up, he said.

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       "We need to work out how much we need to generate in sales to counter all that – and what we can cut.

       "That will mean trying to do the job with fewer people or hours. The rise in the minimum wage might mean our customers have more money in their pockets, but will they spend it? You can’t guarantee that.

       "What we absolutely know is that the cost of doing business has increased. We don’t know what level of growth we will achieve."

       DON'T MISS

       Powered by

       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

       431 Comments

       Labour has delivered a large-scale tax-raising Budget

       Comments

       'I've run a pub for 4 years - Rachel Reeves' budget is going to destroy us!'

       17 Comments

       Autumn Budget 2024: Full list of predictions as Rachel Reeves' announcement edges closer

       12 Comments

       What time is the budget? Exact time Rachel Reeves will announce changes on Wednesday

       5 Comments

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       44 Comments

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       87 Comments

       Martin Lewis issues National Insurance warning to shoppers after ￡615 Budget increase

       1 Comments

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       10 Comments

       Rachel Reeves accused of broken election promises after devastating ￡40 billion tax raid

       16 Comments

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       59 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' mask just dropped in Budget giveaways that show she's an economic vandal

       38 Comments

       Pension savers over 55 warned against 'big mistake' ahead of Rachel Reeves' budget

       1 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' mask slips as she shows true colours in 'sneering' Budget speech

       10 Comments

       Martin Lewis addresses Winter Fuel Payments and WASPI compensation blow in Budget

       3 Comments

       Labour's high-tax Budget has imposed additional pressures and squeezed bottom lines

       Comments

       Why Rachel Reeves' Budget will fail to deliver on Labour Party's central promise

       18 Comments

       Labour's Budget will push up taxes for most people, ex-Bank of England chief warns

       544 Comments

       Rachel Reeves set to launch blistering inflation Budget blow to one key sector

       1529 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' Budget sends markets wild as nightmare graphs expose total disaster

       712 Comments

       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

       431 Comments

       Labour has delivered a large-scale tax-raising Budget

       Comments

       'I've run a pub for 4 years - Rachel Reeves' budget is going to destroy us!'

       17 Comments

       Autumn Budget 2024: Full list of predictions as Rachel Reeves' announcement edges closer

       12 Comments

       What time is the budget? Exact time Rachel Reeves will announce changes on Wednesday

       5 Comments

       Rachel Reeves is about to shun the elephant in the room - voters shouldn't be fooled

       44 Comments

       Rachel Reeves confirms minimum wage will rise to new high in boost for millions

       87 Comments

       Martin Lewis issues National Insurance warning to shoppers after ￡615 Budget increase

       1 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' Budget set to clobber working people with one key rule change, experts warn

       10 Comments

       Rachel Reeves accused of broken election promises after devastating ￡40 billion tax raid

       16 Comments

       Rachel Reeves taunted over Budget warning as Chancellor faces fury in final clash

       59 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' mask just dropped in Budget giveaways that show she's an economic vandal

       38 Comments

       Pension savers over 55 warned against 'big mistake' ahead of Rachel Reeves' budget

       1 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' mask slips as she shows true colours in 'sneering' Budget speech

       10 Comments

       Martin Lewis addresses Winter Fuel Payments and WASPI compensation blow in Budget

       3 Comments

       Labour's high-tax Budget has imposed additional pressures and squeezed bottom lines

       Comments

       Why Rachel Reeves' Budget will fail to deliver on Labour Party's central promise

       18 Comments

       Labour's Budget will push up taxes for most people, ex-Bank of England chief warns

       544 Comments

       Rachel Reeves set to launch blistering inflation Budget blow to one key sector

       1529 Comments

       Rachel Reeves' Budget sends markets wild as nightmare graphs expose total disaster

       712 Comments

       What the Budget means for you from pensions to Stamp Duty and capital gains tax

       431 Comments

       Labour has delivered a large-scale tax-raising Budget

       Comments

       'I've run a pub for 4 years - Rachel Reeves' budget is going to destroy us!'

       17 Comments

       Autumn Budget 2024: Full list of predictions as Rachel Reeves' announcement edges closer

       12 Comments

       What time is the budget? Exact time Rachel Reeves will announce changes on Wednesday

       5 Comments

       Rachel Reeves is about to shun the elephant in the room - voters shouldn't be fooled

       44 Comments

       Rachel Reeves confirms minimum wage will rise to new high in boost for millions

       87 Comments

       But Martin said he retained an element of hope for the future- especially given a fall in interest rates and once they had repaid their Covid debt.

       "What I love is how agile and creative this industry is. The 2020s have hit us particularly badly but we do find ways of surviving.

       "While these short term measures are relatively painful I can see a reason to believe things will be better from 2027."