MPs have called for a drastic reform of the pub industry to stop locals closing at an "alarming" rate.
In a strongly-worded report, the Business Select Committee criticised the large pub companies which run most of the country's pubs, so-called pubcos, saying self-regulation had failed.
The committee said that after being given a number of chances to change the way it runs the business, pubcos should now be subjected to statutory regulation.
That statutory regulation you want to bring in? Look at the last one you brought in. The smoking ban. Have you not thought that, that in itself, has done the most damage to the hospitality industry?
Maybe you haven’t read this you muppets.
Almost three years after the introduction of smoking bans in the three countries, Scotland had
lost 7.1% of its pub estate (467 pubs), Wales 7.3% (274), and England 7.6% (4,148). Scotland,
which introduced a smoking ban a year earlier lost a further 4% of its pub estate in the fourth
year after the ban, mirroring a similar decline in Ireland (11%) which banned smoking in pubs in
2004.
Total pub losses in England, Scotland and Wales since the introduction of smoking bans in all
three countries are in excess of 5,500.
According to CR Consulting’s report, which was commissioned by the Save Our Pubs & Clubs
campaign, “While there is significant variation in the trajectories of pub closures before the ban,
there is an almost total correlation between the three countries after the ban.
“This indicates that they are affected by a strong common factor ‐ the smoking ban. The
correlation is in fact so close that the trend line for the three countries is identical.”
I would suggest that you MPs and your so called select committees butt out and do what you do best. The only problem is the only thing I think you have any expertise in, is fiddling your expenses and being professional liars.
I used to go to a local pub every Sunday before the smoking ban and had to fight my way to the bar. Now I rarely go once every three months. last Sunday I went. There were only five others in the pub, one of which was the barman. The other three were with me.
Just get out into the real world outside the Westminster bubble and speak to real people. Get away from your sycophants, and your lackeys in the MSM (a certain Nick Robinson from the BBC springs to mind) if you want to find out why pubs and clubs are closing at an alarming rate.
God give me strength. I truly hate the cunts. My MP hasn’t the decency to even acknowledge my correspondence. Yes you, John Stanley, you waste of space.
Guy Fawkes had the right idea. Roll on November the fifth. (or should that be filth)
As Chris Snowdon said, "If I see one more politician who voted for the smoking ban crying crocodile tears about the state of the pub industry, I may throw up."
ReplyDelete"The only problem is the only thing I think you have any expertise in, is fiddling your expenses and being professional liars."
ReplyDeleteYou forgot diddling their secretaries all the while being married
I would also point out that me personally? I believe they know EXACTLY What they're doing. Completely destroying the business environment regulation by regulation til there's nothing left but the state for everyone to go to for handouts. WE've got Obama snd the Dhimmicrats over here doing their level best to speed the process up, before we throw his useless ass out of orifice in 2012.
They've had it in for pubs since 1604, when Mr Fawkes and his colleagues plotted over a few jars in the Duck & Drake, London. It's one of the last places we can congregate as freemen and air our grievances in private... of course they've got to go...
ReplyDelete"The only problem is the only thing I think you have any expertise in, is fiddling your expenses and being professional liars."
ReplyDeleteYou also forgot to mention their tendencies towards Shirt-lifting ... Bustle-punching & Fudge-packing ..
Its well beyond time that these particular Augean stables were well & truly cleaned out, once and for all ..
As a reformed smoker of long standing I quite like smoke free pubs. What I do not like is the crowd that stands outside the pubs on every main street. There should be separate bars for smokers and non smokers within pubs. People should not be discriminated against in this way, after all they pay the tax on the cigs (when they have to).
ReplyDeleteThis is probably an EU initiative somewhere along the line. Can anybody cast any light in this hypothesis?
@ Robert ..
ReplyDeleteAs a Pipe smoker of many years standing, I fully agree with your support for separate smoking & non-smoking rooms in pubs ..
I never smoked in restaurants either .. in fact, I used to patronise one restaurant which banned smoking in the main room, for many years before it became compulsory .. on the basis that the chef had gone to a great deal of trouble to produce the food to a high standard & didn't want it ruined by a smoky atmoshpere ..
They did however, provide a small smoking "lounge" away from the eating area ..
The fact that the food was so good was the major reason why I continued to spend my hard-earned money there ..
I have no hard evidence that the current situation can be laid directly at the door of the EU .. though I strongly suspect your hypothesis is spot on the money ..
I'd like it if pubs were given a choice. Let the market place decide.
ReplyDeleteOoooh FE ..
ReplyDelete"Let the market place decide" ? .. "Let people make their own minds up" ?
That's the start of a very slippery slope .. I mean, where would it all end ?
Adults being allowed to decide things for themselves .. they might end up deciding on things which weren't "good" for them .. which would mean no more work for meddling politicians ..
It'll never happen ..