Twenty nine pubs close every week - partly caused by high beer taxes and cheap supermarket alcohol. Although there has been a small renaissance in some small breweries and free hold pubs, the big breweries still hold sway - because they control the price of all Beer in all their pubs, blocking any kind of free market.
Urgent reforms are needed:
First; smaller independent pubs and breweries should get business tax rebates. Second; taxes on pub beer tax should be reduced - and raised on alcopops et al. Third; Breweries should be compelled to end their stranglehold on beer prices.
There needs to be some real change on taxes and opening up of the Beer market. If things carry on as they are, estimates suggest that most Pubs in Britain will be facing closing time in the next twenty to thirty years.
P.S. Camra stands for the Campaign for Real Ale.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Sounds like you did indeed have a good time Rob, I'm glad to hear it! I'm glad also that you've taken on board the facts that Brendan and the team presented you with. If you (or anyone else reading this!) want to know more or even know how you can help then contact CAMRA HQ at St Albans - 01727 867201.
ReplyDeleteWell done for supporting our pubs, Rob. Pubs are a key part UK's vital small business sector which employs around 60%of UK's workforce. In common with so many other small businesses, they're under great pressure. Pub's aren't just places to have a drink either, they're such an important part of our business and employment base, culture, heritage and communities, yet successive governments have damaged the pub trade with over regulation and by using it as a cash cow.
ReplyDeleteOne key factor factor that has also damaged our pubs is the smoking ban. This damage could be so easily overcome by allowing some pubs to operate exclusively for smokers as is the case in some other countries. This would restore some of the rights of much maligned smokers too, who are treated like lepers by too many tin pot dictator politicians.
It's not the business of politicians to be dictating to smokers how we should live our lives, in particular as so many of those who insist on doing so are hypocrites who think nothing of damaging the planet or spraying the public with toxic fumes from their high emission vehicles.