Ever since its original season, Clarkson’s Farm on streaming service Amazon has managed to prompt some very worthy discussions, from the state of British farming to issues with the planning system.

A major part of the latest series is Jeremy Clarkson’s attempt to open his own boozer. He seeks to do his best in tackling the loneliness epidemic that is affecting so many up and down the country.

This is an issue that is very important to me. Community, after all, is one of the three guiding principles (alongside Family and Country) that Reform UK believes in. There is no doubt in my mind that a factor in the rise of loneliness in recent years is the sheer number of pubs closing. They are the heart and soul of our communities.

It will not come as a surprise to readers of this column that I’m quite partial to a pint, especially out and about in Clacton. Every pub is a parliament after all! But according to the latest statistics, around six pubs in the UK closed every week in 2024. In the year 2000 there were 60,800. Now there are only 45,000.

I was delighted to read in The Gazette last week that the Red Lion in Kirby-le-Soken was recently brought back to life after many years following a major £60,000 refurbishment. I hope many of you will support landlord Peter and all of our other fantastic venues locally.