Welsh Conservative candidates for Ceredigion Penfro, Paul Davies and Samuel Kurtz have called for greater support for pubs and the wider hospitality sector following a visit to The Ship Aground in Dinas Cross.
During the visit, they met with staff and customers to hear directly about the pressures facing local pubs, including rising costs and the impact of the business rates multiplier – following the business rates re-evaluation which sees new rates calculations kicking in this month.
Across Mid and South Pembrokeshire, there are 162 local pubs and five breweries contributing £57 million to the local economy and supporting 1,175 jobs highlighting just how vital the sector is to the region. Similarly, across Ceredigion Penfro, 161 pubs and five breweries support 1,800 jobs and contribute £59 million to the local economy.
Speaking after the visit, Paul Davies said:
“Pubs are at the heart of communities across Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. They support local jobs, bring people together, and play a huge role in our tourism economy.”
“These figures show just how important the sector is but landlords are telling us the pressure is intensifying, with the business rates system hitting them particularly hard at a time when costs are already high.”
Samuel Kurtz added:
“I’ve seen that firsthand through my Best Local Pub competition which I’ve been running for the past few years, has highlighted just how valued these businesses are by their communities and how important they are to local tourism and community life.”
“But I’m also hearing real concern from businesses more broadly. At a recent business rates roundtable Paul and I hosted, with around 150 local businesses on the call, there was significant concern about the impact of the business rates revaluation and the pressure it could place on already stretched businesses.”
Following the meeting, former Members of the Senedd covering Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire, lobbied the Welsh Labour Government for a review of business rates and called for extra support for the sector. Their call for action was met with some success, “but more still needs to be done” says Kurtz. “The recent confirmation of an additional £8 million to extend relief for hospitality businesses is welcome and will provide eligible ratepayers with 15% relief for 2026–27, subject to a £110,000 cap across Wales. However, for many pubs and hospitality businesses facing rising costs, this won't go far enough.”
The Welsh Conservatives would take a different approach by delivering more meaningful and long-term support for the hospitality sector, and scrapping business rates for pubs altogether.
Samuel said; “We also want to see targeted support for tourism and hospitality businesses that recognises their importance to rural economies like ours. We need a longer-term solution that properly supports the sector and recognises the vital role it plays in our local economy, tourism industry, and community life.”
Both candidates warned that without further action, more hospitality businesses could struggle to survive.
Paul concluded: “If we want to keep our pubs thriving, we need to ease the burden on them now and give them the support they need to grow.
“This is about protecting jobs, supporting tourism, and backing local communities. Our pubs are a vital part of what makes this area special, and they deserve our support.”
