David BaleLocal candidates have joined the surge in the numbers nationally competing for the public vote in next week's general election who have signed the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) pledge to 'Back the Pub'.David Bale

Local candidates have joined the surge in the numbers nationally competing for the public vote in next week's general election who have signed the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) pledge to 'Back the Pub'.

The pledge calls on government, industry, local authorities and others to work together to support British pubs as part of efforts to enhance community life and promote economic recovery.

In total 419 Parliamentary candidates have signed up in support of the 'Back the Pub' campaign.

The list includes Broadland candidate Dan Roper (Lib Dem) Great Yarmouth, Simon Partridge, Lib Dem, and Tony Wright, Labour, Norwich North, John Cook, Labour, and Simon Wright, Lib Dem, South Norfolk, Mick Castle, Labour, and Jacky Howe, Lib Dem, and South West Norfolk, Elizabeth Truss, Conservative, and Peter Smith, Labour.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BBPA, the UK's leading organisation representing the brewing and pub sector, said: 'There is a growing momentum for the pub in this election campaign.

'Candidates from all parties and all regions understand the importance of the British beer and pub industry to their own local economies, but they are rightly concerned about the state of the industry.

'In the last two years, beer tax has increased by 26pc whilst over 4,000 community pubs have closed at the cost of more than 40,000 jobs.

'Each of the main political parties, for the first time ever, have come out and said they support the pub in their manifestos. But we need to hear more details of what they propose. It is time now for all the parties to listen to their own candidates and say exactly how they intend to back the pub.'

The Evening News' Love Your Local campaign aims to get punters back into pubs that are struggling to survive in the recession.

To see previous stories from our campaign log on to www.eveningnews24.co.uk/loveyourlocal.

To sign up to the BBPA's campaign visit www.backthepub.com.

Have you got a pubs story? Call Evening News reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk.