Liberal Democrats have urged the government to ramp up support for Oxford's pubs as the historic Lamb & Flag pub announces it is closing due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pub in St Giles, popular with local students and real ale drinkers, first opened in 1566 before moving to its current site in St Giles in 1613. It has welcomed famous drinkers over the years including Bill Clinton and Thomas Hardy.
Read again: Historic Lamb & Flag pub is to close
However, due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions and a lack of financial support, the pub owned by St John's College will cease operations on January 31, 455 years after it poured its first pint.
Responding to the news, Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West & Abingdon said: "The closure of The Lamb & Flag is not only tragic and devastating news, but it shows just how in trouble our pubs are.
"There is a real risk of this being just the canary in the coal mine with more local pubs closures soon to follow. The Government have the power to stop this disaster, and yet they're not listening.
"That's why I'm calling on Rishi Sunak to do the right thing for publicans in Oxford and to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for the hospitality sector for as long as is needed. Without this vital financial support, I just cannot see a bright future for our local pubs."
James Cox, Liberal Democrat candidate for University Parks, added: "The Lamb & Flag is one of Oxford's favourite pubs and to see it shut its doors for potentially the last time will be tragic news to so many.
"Local publicans have been telling us how worried they are about their future. The lack of support threatens these economic, social, and cultural hubs in our community.
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"Liberal Democrats are campaigning to save Oxford's pubs, with a petition calling on the government to recognise the vital community role that pubs perform and to immediately extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until it is safe for pubs to open their doors as normal. We need to act now to save Oxford's pubs."
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