There is concern that cherished local pubs will be forced to close after a government grant was cancelled, in yet another blow to rural communities
Keir Starmer's government is accused of a "war on the countryside" for canceling the Community Ownership Fund (COF), a grant program that helped local groups buy pubs threatened with closure. The COF, launched in 2021, was scrapped early after allocating £135 million of its intended £150 million, raising concerns about the future of rural pubs and communities. Critics cite this alongside other policies, including inheritance tax changes and the scrapping of a farming incentive, as evidence of the government's disregard for rural interests.
