Paul Nuttall MEP with landlady Ellie Furzeman of the The White Lion, Wigan.

The need for the Government to intervene to save the pub industry has been stressed by local MEP Paul Nuttall.

On a fact finding visit around the North West to highlight British Pub Week, Mr Nuttall, Euro-MP for UKIP, visited various pubs including popping into The White Lion, Wrightington and chatting to Ellie Furzeman, the licensee’s wife.

“It was good to see that this particular establishment has a loyal crowd of regulars and it clearly plays an important role in the local community,” said Mr Nuttall.

“But so many other pubs are struggling and many have closed and gone forever. Pubs have traditionally been at the heart of communities and it is a tragedy when they are lost.

“UKIP is the only major political party fighting to try to halt the decline and British Pub Week, which runs from October 27 – November 6, is helping highlight the need for urgent action to be taken,” he said.

“There is no simple answer but it is certainly time to re-think the smoking ban which has taken 20% off pub takings.

“Across Northern Europe common sense is prevailing and pubs and restaurants are now allowed to provide a separate smoking room. This is exactly what should be happening here, it would make such a difference,” said Mr Nuttall.

“I also think the campaign to take VAT down to 5% in pubs would actually help government revenue, not hurt it because closed pubs pay no tax at all.

“And there is no doubt that supermarkets have played a role in the demise of pubs. We want the government to get supermarkets round the table and ask them to play fairly,” he said.

But more than 300 years later a historic Southampton pub last night closed its doors.

The Anchor Hotel, in Test Lane, Redbridge, has become the latest to feel the pinch among the licensed trade in the county.

Landlord Julian Whelan said the pub did not fit with his other businesses and it was cheaper to close it and pay the rent rather than pay the running costs because the pub was currently operating at a loss.

He said takings had halved since April, but that he believed the business could work under a more hands-on manager.

Mr Whelan added he would continue to pay the rent for the three years he has left on the lease, in the hope that someone will come in to take it on, but that he did not know the owner’s plans.

“The pub is closing with my involvement.

As soon as the brewery can find someone else to come in and take it over it will re-open,” said Mr Whelan.

“I’m gutted for everyone, but there comes a point where you have to say enough is enough.”

Five staff have been made redundant.

Source: Daily Echo

PUB companies are being handed one final chance to reform or face new Government regulation.

Major pub chains such as Burton-based Marston’s and Punch Taverns have come under fire for the way they treat landlords.

It is claimed landlords are forced into a ‘beer tie’ which forces them to pay skyhigh prices for alcohol from the pub companies.

An influential parliamentary committee recently came down on the side of landlords by claiming pub companies were out of control and needed Government regulation.

It is understood the pub companies have been given one final chance to reform and treat landlords more fairly or be hit with new legislation.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents pub companies, previously said the committee’s recommendations, if adopted, would be disastrous for the industry and would cause more pub closures.

The parliamentary committee said pub industries should be regulated by a statutory body, like Ofsted or Ofgem, with powers to punish those which stepped out of line.

The measure is backed by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which said in a statement: “A group of powerful MPs on the Business Select Committee has backed CAMRA’s call for the large pub companies to provide genuine free-of-tie options and guest beer rights to their lessees, and to comply with a legally enforceable code of practice backed by an adjudicator.

“The Government has previously promised to back the committee’s findings and so we are getting close to meaningful action to rein in the conduct of the large pub companies.”

It continued: “This will result in better pubs, better value for money and fewer pub closures. These reforms are crucial to ensure small brewers can get their beers into local pubs.

“Nine out of the 14 pubs closing each week are tied pubs and new research from the Institute for Public Policy research think tank has found that tied pubs are much more likely to be facing financial difficulties.”

A pint averages £2.88 in the West Midlands, £2.95 in the South West, £2.99 in the East Midlands, £3.04 in the East of England and costs the same as the North West in the North East and Yorkshire.

Pubs brewing their own ale charge under £2.50 a pint, with scarcely any increase over the past year, said the guide, compared with a 7% rise elsewhere.

The annual guide also discovered that the most popular pub food was steak and ale pie, closely followed by fish and chips, often “beer-battered”.

Lasagne scored zero in a list of top food choices, with curry, sausage and mash and ham and egg also slipping well down the popularity stakes.

Decent coffee was said to be available in nearly all good pubs, although the guide said it was a “shame” that almost half of pubs in the UK did not open until noon.

The guide also questioned why few town and city pubs had the character and charm found in country inns, describing them as “pleasant enough”, with “okay” levels of service, while furnishings came from a vast warehouse hidden away in an anonymous “off-motorway wasteland”.

Fiona Stapley, editor of the Good Pub Guide, said: “Today’s number one food choice for pub-goers is steak in ale pie, in all it glorious variations: steak in ale-Guinness-stout-red wine, with mushrooms, stilton, kidneys, oysters.

“Other pies follow, like all types of fish, chicken, pork, lamb, rabbit, shepherd’s, venison, wild boar, duckling, goose. And they love suet puddings too.”

Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s deputy leader, said: “However, the Government could do more to make the pint of a pub-goer cheaper by not increasing excise duty by 2% above the rate of inflation every year. Such a move is destroying Britain’s pub trade and stunting growth.”

Source: Daily Mirror

From Saturday it will become illegal to sell tobacco in public areas of pubs, clubs and restaurants with those who break the rules facing £2,500 fines.

Although vending machines account for less than one per cent of sales, 11 to 15 year olds are more likely to buy tobacco from them than the population as a whole.

The British Heart Foundation estimates that more than 46,000 children in that age group buy from them.

Sinclair Collis, which is based in Wolverhampton and owns 20,000 machines, fought to prevent the ban saying the move would wipe out a £400million industry and cost 550 jobs.

The company argued that the Department of Health action went against EU free trade rules and the company’s right to use its property.

The DoH brought the rule in to prevent young people from getting hold of cigarettes and deter others from smoking.

It said that the government had failed to look at other options such as the use of technology to enforce age restrictions.

Pubs will still be able to sell cigarettes but they will have to buy them from over the counter so that the seller can verify the buyer is over 18.

The ban on vending machines was approved in 2009 with health campaigners saying it was a ‘brave move’ by the government.

Former Labour minister Ian McCartney proposed the ban saying they were an ‘outrageous loophole in our country’s safeguards’ against tobacco.

The then health minister, Gillian Merron, said she hoped the ban would deter young people from picking up the habit.

She said: ‘The tobacco industry constantly recruits young people to replace those who give up smoking or die each year.

‘We are of course aware of how the current economic climate is affecting small business which is why we will not commence the effect of this legislation until 2011 for larger stores and 2013 for smaller shops.

Peter Hollins, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘Consigning vending machines to the scrapheap will cut off an easy supply of cigarettes to children.

‘This policy must be carried out across the UK as soon as possible.’

Source: Daily Mail

“Pubs are local parliaments and are a very important part of our society. Once the traditional pubs have gone they will never return,” said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

“There is no simple answer but it is certainly time to re-think the smoking ban. The political powers of this country dealt pubs an absolute hammer blow four years ago with the total smoking ban. It has taken 20% off pub takings.

“Across Northern Europe common sense is prevailing and pubs and restaurants are now allowed to provide a separate smoking room. This is exactly what should be happening here, it would make such a difference,” said Mr Nuttall.

“UKIP is the only major political party involved in fighting to save the British pub and this week at the launch of British Pub Week we put our views to pubs minister Bob Neill about the smoking ban, beer duty, and supermarkets.

‘When George Osborne stood up at the budget and said he had no plans to increase beer duties he meant he had no plans to increase beer duties above what Alistair Darling had already given us. So the budget put another 15p on a pint.

“I think the campaign to take VAT down to 5% in pubs would actually help government revenue, not hurt government revenue, because with forty pubs a week closing, closed pubs pay no tax at all.

“And there is no doubt that supermarkets have played a role in the demise of pubs. We want the government to get supermarkets round the table and ask them to play fairly.

“In many cases they are actually selling alcohol below even the level of duty, and it’s making it virtually impossible for the pubs to compete,” said Mr Nuttall.

British Pub Week runs from October 28 – Nov 6.

From this weekend (Oct 1) beers with less than 2.8 per cent alcohol by volume will be taxed less, leading to possible savings of 50p for some drinks.

“With pubs still continuing to close at an alarming rate this can only be good news for the licensed trade,” said Mr Nuttall.

“This is also a positive move towards tackling to excess drinking by young people. Many do not realise just how powerful some beers are and what harm they can do to their health. Encouraging them to drink lower strength beer can only be good.

“I was pleased to learn that beer experts have been unable to differentiate in taste tests between low and mid-strength real ales.

“UKIP has long been fighting the corner of the beleaguered pub trade and we will continue to do all we can to help save the great British pub,” added Mr Nuttall.

British Pub Week is aimed at promoting the benefits of the Great British pub and uniting the industry.

Now in its third year, it will run from Friday 28 October to Sunday 6 November.

“We are delighted to be involved with British Pub Week,” said UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

“UKIP believes that pubs are the hub of our communities. UKIP are the only British Political Party who believes that pubs are worthy of saving and we have produced an in depth manifesto on pubs that recognise the importance of the pub industry to the country.”

Inez Ward, chair of British Pub Week, added: “We are pleased to have the full party support of UKIP and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

“We are hopeful that other parties would like to follow the lead of UKIP, pubs are important to communities and for social cohesion, are of a benefit to the national economy and tourism and deserve cross party support.”

• Pubs can register their details for free at www.useyourlocal.com/british-pub-week. Interested suppliers and pubcos should email neilr@bii.org or info@justiceforlicensees.org.uk .

Source: The Morning Advertiser

“We all know that the pub trade is in dire straits and a new survey shows that the traditional Northern boozer could be an endangered species.

“It reveals that 45% of the country’s licensees have reported a fall in sales in the last year and while it shows that the rate of closure has declined, 25 pubs are still closing each week.

“That is such an on-going tragedy for the local communities and for the lost jobs and revenue,” said Mr Nuttall, UKIP MEP for the North West.

The survey by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels found that traditional, non-food serving public houses continue to suffer, with 66% reporting a fall in sales over the last 12 months, compared with 63% of food-led pubs, which experienced a rise in sales.

“Pubs in the South outperformed those in the North and I fear for our traditional boozer which has played such an important role in both urban and rural communities,” said Mr Nuttall.

“It seems likely that public houses which offer food will continue to perform much better than traditional alcohol-only pubs. The loss of such pubs – just like Granada TV’s Rovers Return – must be halted, for once they have gone they will not return.

“Gastro-pubs have their place in today’s society but many people going out for a drink don’t want to be feel they are more in a restaurant than a pub. There is room for both types but the government must do more to help save the industry, such as a change in VAT rules,” said Mr Nuttall.

He is particularly interested in the subject and recently produced an in-depth report entitled – ‘Last Orders? The decline of the Great British pub’. Among it recommendation is a Royal Commission to investigate the pub industry.

THE future of an empty village pub remains uncertain after the owners revealed it could become offices or a restaurant.

The Blacksmiths Arms in Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath, near Lincoln, was closed in April due to a change in management.

And, after four months, Nottingham-based owner Castle Bar Properties says it is looking for people to rent or buy the property.

Villagers say they hope the Blacksmiths Arms will reopen, but there are fears it may not be economically viable as a pub.

Melvyn Tisbury, director at Castle Bar Properties, said the company had received a number of enquiries from people looking to take on the property.

However, he explained the building was not in a suitable condition to be used for business purposes.

“We’re keen to get the building refurbished and into economical use,” he said.

“It hasn’t traded particularly well as a pub for some time and a publican would need to make a significant investment into it.

“We have got to look at other uses, such as an office or restaurant, subject to planning permission.

“We’re not looking at a residential use at the moment, but there is potential to develop first-floor flats.”

Peter Burley, district councillor for Bracebridge Heath and Waddington East and chairman of the village parish council, said many people would prefer the pub to stay.

“I think the majority of people would want to see it remain as a pub,” he said. “People would be upset if it closed altogether.

“It was one of the main pubs in the village, along with the Bull over the road.

“It was the venue for the village cricket club before and after games, and it would be a loss to Bracebridge Heath.”

Michael Self, regional organiser for the Federation Of Small Businesses, said a new pub business would face an uphill struggle to be profitable.

“Pubs are very difficult businesses to run, they say two pubs are closing down every day week after week,” he said.

“People still like the idea of running pubs, but it is being made very difficult for a small pub business to survive.

“The owners may have to look at other options.”

Carolyn Merridan, manager of the nearby John Bull pub, said if a substantial investment was made, the Blacksmiths Arms could survive as a pub.

“I think the customer base could still be there if it was made into a traditional pub serving good real ales,” she said.

Anyone interested in taking on the property can call Nottingham agents Fisher Hargreaves Procter on 0115 950 7577.

Source: Lincolnshire Echo