Ministers are being urged to back a radical new vision for the future of Britain's pubs, placing ownership in the hands of local communities rather than distant corporate shareholders.
The Blueprint in Preston, Hitchin
The call was made by Labour MP Alistair Strathern during a visit to a pioneering establishment: the Red Lion in Preston, Hitchin. This pub holds the distinction of being the UK's first community-owned pub, a status it achieved in 1983.
Its survival was not guaranteed. The pub's former owners had planned to convert it into a steakhouse chain. However, the local community mobilised, challenging the sale and raising the necessary funds by selling individual shares to residents. It has remained in community hands ever since, thriving as a vital local hub.
A "Cracking" Example of Local Power
Hitchin MP Mr Strathern praised the Red Lion as a perfect example of a successful local pub. "You couldn’t ask for a better example of a cracking local pub than the Red Lion, which has served Preston for centuries," he said.
He emphasised that it was community ownership that saved this pub, and now it is "owned and run by the people who love it most." Strathern linked this success to Labour's wider ambitions, stating the party is "building a legacy of community ownership across the country."
A key policy in this effort is the Community Right to Buy. This measure gives community groups first refusal to buy local pubs when they come up for sale, blocking private buyers for a period of one year to allow fundraising.
Safeguarding Pubs as Community Hearts
The push for community ownership aligns with campaigns like The Mirror's 'Your Pub Needs You', which advocates for better support for pubs as essential social spaces. The Co-operative Party, which organised the visit, strongly endorses the model.
Co-operative Party General Secretary Joe Fortune said: "Community ownership keeps important community spaces alive, at a time when so many have closed their doors." He argued that places like the Red Lion put "power and ownership in the hands of local people, rather than distant profit-driven shareholders."
Ray Lambe, landlord of the Red Lion, highlighted the tangible benefit: "The village owns this pub so they are incentivised to come here, and it's got a much stronger community spirit because of that."
The message from Preston is clear: to survive and thrive, the future of the Great British pub may depend on being owned by, and run for, the community it serves.
