James Murray, MP for Ealing North, has today written to 10 pub companies, appealing to them to take over the Black Horse in Greenford – a popular local pub that was due to celebrate its 300th anniversary in 2026 and that was suddenly shut down on January 10 by its current owners Fuller's.

The closure follows long-running rumours that Fuller's were looking to sell the pub. Over the last 18 months, James helped to establish the 'Protect the Black Horse' community group, which has been trying to put protections in place for the Black Horse. The group, which James chairs, was successful in getting it listed as an 'asset of community value' by Ealing Council last summer.

Following the pub's closure, James spoke with Fuller's to stress that, despite their plans to sell the Black Horse in the coming months, the building still has protection for use as a pub, including through the 'asset of community value' listing. Fuller's have confirmed their immediate intention is to market the building for sale as a pub.

In his letter, written on behalf of the Protect the Black Horse group, James appealed to other pub companies to help secure the future of the Black Horse. In launching the appeal for a new owner, James said:

"Regulars at the Black Horse from across Greenford and beyond have been left shocked and upset at the pub's sudden closure. With the right business model, this pub could be a great success once again.

"I am appealing to other pub companies to look at buying the Black Horse and bringing it back into use. I very much hope that we will be able to celebrate the Black Horse's 300th anniversary in 2026 with a pint the reopened pub."