Tuesday 24 February 2009

PUBS CLOSURES

Pub closeures are on the increase all across the Country, not just here or elsewhere in Wales but everywhere, the reasons are high rents, high beer prices, the smoking ban and the economy. Pub companies such as Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns have owned their pubs for years and more than wiped their noses with them, most are proberbly owned outright with no mortgages on them and, therefore, could be rented at a lot less than they currently are. The Government, if they wanted to, could regulate these rents but they don’t. Pubs are your Working mans meeting place, socialising, catching-up and talking about your gripes sort of place, Labour don’t want us to do that, we could be conspiring against them if we did that!.
Beer prices are high because budget after budget see’s the tax on beer rise and rise, when was the last time we saw a budget that lowered tax on beer and spirits?, another way of keeping us out of the pub and complaining about Labour’s treatment of us.
The smoking ban in pubs, who voted for it and what percentage of pub users agree with it?. I agree all those left-wing do-gooders say what a wonderful idea it was and is, but how many of them used the pub in the first place!. Why weren’t landlords given the chance to make their own choice?, they were the ones who could have decided if they wanted to be non-smoking or not. No choice was given, Labour didn’t want us having a say on what we wanted.
Cheap booze in supermarkets, how many times have we heard the Government say it is wrong and that they are going to crack down on it?, they have done absolutely nothing about it. In fact, what as the Labour Government done to help the pub industry, if anything?, nothing, that’s what they have done, nothing because it doesn’t suit their purpose to do so.
Granted the economy doesn’t help but who led us into it?… Labour and they don’t want you going down to the pub telling your mates that either!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Public Houses or Ale Houses are licenced premises. One time a brewery could judged the turn over of a pub by counting the chimney pots in order to gauge potential turn over and was used to define the amount of barrels turned over in a week. To day with rising prices, over heads, competition from off licences and supermarkets a good quaffer or pub drinker is becoming rare. The rate Ale houses are closing down is on the same par as the churches. People sneaking cheap bottles of spirits/wine into the pub and many before they go out having a large tipple and a quick top up up with recreational drugs has not helped the ailing pub trade. Add to this the smoking ban, you now have a nation of sit at home drinkers. All Governments have think tanks, they know there is a lot of tax to be made on alcohol. Hence this is why the consumption of alcohol and sales have soared at the expense of your friendly pub.

Dr Chris Hill said...

This is a very good analysis of the problem, and in fact a few weeks back the local Wigan blog (http://wiganpatriot.blogspot.com/) carried a very similar story about pub closures in their area.

My own view is that I can't understand why a smoking ban would prevent someone going for a pint, but then again I have to admit that's probably because I don't smoke. However I can comment on the cost of a pint, here in Lancaster there are pubs where a fiver won't buy two pints of bitter, while others still do a good pint for well under £2. The fact that a one landlord might own the property while another rents, might account for a small discrepancy in prices. But in any business a capital investment is expected to produce a return, so that expected return simply replaces rent in the pubs overheads.

I'm convinced the prime reason for the decline is a combination of high pub prices and cheap supermarket alcohol. I also think that John has hit the nail on the head in that last sentence: New Labour doesn't want White social coherence leading to opposition to their plans for the future of the British people (ie. Our slow but total eradication as an indigenous people).

From
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)

Anonymous said...

ANTI - SOCIAL DENS

Alcohol is a dangerous addictive drug, far worse than most recreational drugs, such as cannibis and speed. Alcohol has serious concequeces. The list of violence, injuries and health problems both phyisical and mental to the individual are endless. The site of incoherent individuals staggering along the promenade with red throbbing hooters is hardly a tourist attraction. I dont object to the occasional table wine but it is now time to 'call time' on these so called watering holes.
From Mrs Lloyd-Jones.

Dr Chris Hill said...

Dear Mrs Lloyd-Jones

The problem of drunks on the street doesn't come from the traditional watering hole, but from a combination of: cheap supermarket wines, recreational drugs (as you call them), and night clubs. Pubs now are so paranoid about checking a person's age that the only choice for a young man or women is to drink at home (under 18 drinking at home is completely legal remember) or in the park. The traditional local provides both a social and friendly atmosphere, and also allows the community to monitor its young people's behaviour.

As for some of these so called night clubs, young people need to take drugs to stand the horrible conditions inside them (the noise is quite simply mind dumbing), while most alcohol on sale in such establishments are not the traditional pints of good British beer but the sugary alcopops meant to encourage young people to drink them by the handful. While the young girls roam the dance floors selling colourful shots at an attractive £1 a time.

Our nation does indeed have a problem with alcohol, but the traditional local is not part of that problem, it’s the solution!

From
Chris Hill
(Lancaster)

PS.
Can someone tell me why people working in nightclubs are not protected by environmental health laws covering excessive noise.

Anonymous said...

Labour 'double standards' as smoking ban is lifted for G20 world leaders

Labour has been accused of double standards for amending legislation to allow world leaders to use smoking rooms during the G20 economic conference.

Dozens of heads of state, politicians and diplomats will be meeting at the Excel Exhibition Centre in Docklands, London, next month.

It is believed that laws have been changed to get around the smoking ban and provide specialist rooms that the visiting dignitaries can use.

Smoking in all enclosed public spaces and places of work was banned under the Health Act 2006, and came into force in England in 2007.

It is not clear which Government department has amended the law for the venue or whether is only a temporary measure.

But the Foreign and Common Office, who is hosting the event, said it was aware of the smoking rooms and has launched an investigation.
Up in smoke: G20 economic leaders pose for the camera
Local authority Newham Council is also looking into the matter as environmental health officers in charge were not aware of the amendment.

Critics say the Government is flouting the ban and should apply the same concession to struggling businesses.

Smoking campaign group Freedom2choose chairman Andy Davis said: 'This clearly demonstrates that there are alternative solutions to the current smoking ban that our government is ignoring.

'Smoking rooms would provide welcome relief for our hospitality industry with the ban being acknowledged as one of the major factors in its current downturn.

'Our government is accommodating the political leaders from across the globe, yet they are not prepared to accommodate millions of their own citizens.

'This concession should now be made available to all private businesses and clubs for them to adopt if they so desire.'

Conservative MP Anne Widdecombe said: 'It's one law for one, and one for another, and I think that sums up this Government.'

The G20 summit, which starts on April 2, is being held under the motto 'stability, growth, jobs'.

It is due to bring together leaders of the world's advanced and emerging economies along with representatives of international financial institutions with the aim of restoring stability and stimulating global economic growth.

On Monday, it was revealed that consultants will be paid more than £6 million to help the Government host the event.

Junior Foreign Office minister Gillian Merron gave details of four contracts worth an expected £6,204,065 with external consultancy firms hired to "advise" on the G20.

She said Feltech/MRG, an event production company, had been hired to help stage the summit at a cost of £5,941,597 excluding VAT.

The development of the summit logo and the creation of the original globe image to overcome copyright issues cost £6,000.