Hamish Champ: It's gloom. It's doom. It's despondency with a capital 'D'
20 April, 2008
"Rarely have I seen such a swathe of gloom amid the Sunday newspapers on the subject of the licensed trade"
What do you think is the ‘final nail in the pub industry's coffin’? Is it cheap booze at the supermarket? Is it the smoking ban? Is it the tie? Is it this unsympathetic government and its sledgehammer of a duty rise? Is it the economy in general?
I ask – somewhat rhetorically – because rarely have I seen such a swathe of gloom amid the Sunday newspapers on the subject of the licensed trade.
I do the newspaper round up of a Sunday morning. Yes, while you are having a lie-in, sleeping soundly in your beds, perhaps snuggling up to a loved one, or while you’re bustling about getting your pub ready for the lunchtime rush, I am trawling the Great British Press for news on the industry that will interest, amuse, stimulate, irritate, or downright get up your nose.
This Sunday it was a pretty thankless task. Apart from a glimmer of sunshine in the form of Fuller’s Simon Emeny sounding like he’d been drinking long and deep from the Happy Well, the general view was that the pub as we know it “ist kaput”.
Why this was the case depended on whom one read. But what was encouraging, if that is the right word, was that it appeared that the mainstream media has finally caught up with the fact that these are tough times for a national institution.
Perhaps the message is finally getting through after all. Sadly, what writers don’t explore is how to remedy the situation.
However those with political agendas are getting in on the act. Living in London and with a mayoral election coming up in a few days time I have the chance to vote in Boris Johnson, the Tory contender for the capital’s top political post.
Bozzer has indicated that he will consider polling residents on whether local authorities should be empowered to roll back the smoking ban in enclosed public spaces.
The thing is, even if I wanted the ban repealed why should I believe his pre-election promises any more than those of Messrs Livingstone or Paddick?
Bloody typical, isn’t it? People fought for centuries – quite literally – for the right to universal suffrage, and all you get to choose from is this lot.
I don’t think the smoking ban will be repealed. While columnists in Sunday newspapers bang on about the nanny state and the like, I doubt that should the Conservatives win the next general election they will change the current situation. I just don’t think there is the political will.
Ah!, I hear you exclaim, but what if Tory parliamentary candidates were assured of support provided they committed themselves to backing the return of smoking in pubs? Nope, sorry, can't see that one working either.
No, I think that Cameron and his cohorts, if they are to get the support of licensees and pub-goers alike, would be better off stating publicly, firmly and with "'x' marks the spot" enthusiasm that they support the place of the British pub in today's economy; that they recognise that the vast majority of pubs work hard at providing customers with a place in which to socialise, and that with the fiscal tools at their disposal they will back them to the hilt, 100 per cent.
But then again, who will believe them?
Readers' comments
I once accused you of burying your head in the sand....no longer We all know that your industry is in serious trouble. All except the government of course http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page15329.asp You've never had it so good!
It's credit crunch, It's pub rents, it's wet rents, It's fuel costs, It's alcohol loss leaders, In some places it's the smoking ban. It's the government! We can spend billions bailing out private companies that give MPs huge salaries for doing very little when they leave parliament, (ie the banks), but they cannot work out how to maintain the fabric and feel of the country that is being sold off to foreign investors as quickly as possible. Me I'm waiting to see which country is empty first when we have taken all of their population as immigrants then I am moving there and starting again in my new country which I will call utopia. No MPs, civil servants, bankers or other parasites will be allowed in unless they donate the bonuses that they receive for running down this country.
There are 1500 per year closing down, but this does not include all the thousands places that are running at a loss because the leaseholders are unwilling to accept the pub that they love and have put years of their life into is failing, and the big chain managed houses where less profitable outlets are subsidised by the better ones.
Mary ,indeed it is within the power of New labour to reverse the unjust smoking laws.Just heard on the news that they have done some sort of "U" turn on the 10p tax issue by offering "incentives" such as heating allowances etc, well how about letting each publican decide "smoking or non smoking" easy isnt it. Ss for not voting for any political party, at least David Cameron has licensed trade experience, he was once a director of pub and leisure group. Fight from inside the system and force MPs to change the mind of Gordon's gang, they have the answer and the power. Graham Allman PS Happy St Georges day , not only the patron St of our great country but patron St of Entrepreneurs, ie, publicans and private business people.
Graham It is entirely within the govt's powers to reverse the ban that has caused the greatest harm to the trade. I agree that they won't. Why, because they'll have another scandal on their hands. Someone's head will swing for the persecution and lies surrounding passive smoking, yet obviously each party is keeping quiet - political suicide and a dressing down from the RCP is far worse to them than the misery the ban has caused to millions of the country's citizens. Never again will I ever support a politician or a major political party.
It is well within New Labours powers to reverse the unfair smoking laws that have strangled our great trade. But will they ? i doubt it , but publicans are in a unique position to influence thier customers in thier voting habits. Same as the 10p tax change , its a disaster for millions of people and as ever not thourght out properly , which has become the trade mark of this dredfull government. Hamish is partially correct; it is GLOOM but not DOOM, lots of pubs make good profits and provide excellant livings for their owners, a good business as with a good pub will always be a good business and a good pub will allways be a good pub. The news that 1500 pubs will close this year is probably correct, however a further 58,500 will not ! Graham Allman