THE ‘fabric of village life’ in West Somerset had been put under threat since the last Budget, Exmoor farmer and political campaigner James Wright said this week.

Mr Wright, regional chairman of the Conservative Rural Forum, said the country had since then lost more than 69,000 jobs in pubs, restaurants, and hotels, with venues closing at a rate not seen since the Covid pandemic.

He said: “Britain’s hospitality industry is in crisis, and nowhere feels it more than West Somerset, where 93 per cent of people are employed by small and medium-sized businesses, many in hospitality, retail, and tourism.

“Rising costs for energy, wages, and employer National Insurance are stretching small businesses to the limit, forcing many to cut hours, delay investment, or close altogether.”

Mr Wright, who this week visited Stogumber, said challenges facing West Somerset’s hospitality businesses went beyond economics, and threatened the ‘very fabric of village life’.

Standing beside a Stogumber sign reading ‘Pub Shop Church’, Mr Wright said: “Those three words sum up what makes our villages special.

“The pub, shop, and church are the heart of every rural community, and right now, too many of them are gone or at risk.”

Mr Wright also recently discussed with UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls what could be done to rebuild confidence and support small businesses as the Conservative Party announced new plans to back entrepreneurs, including a pledge to abolish business rates for pubs and shops, simplify the process of starting a business, and improve HMRC’s service through a new Verified Interaction Rating system.

Mr Wright said: “Hospitality is not just another sector.

“It is the social and economic backbone of Devon and Somerset.

“Businesses do not want handouts, they want a fair chance.

“Scrapping business rates for pubs and shops is the first step and will be worth thousands to the average local business.”