We salute responsible hosts
Yesterday, believe it or not, a Government minister said something nice about the trade. At least, I trust he did as I write this in advance of Wednesday's Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards, where Licensing minister Richard Caborn was our guest of honour.
It was brave of Caborn to attend the RDR lunch and show his support for all the pub (and off-licence) people who are working so hard to do the right thing. He knows that this is a highly sensitive area for politicians. They have, after all, spent much of the past year attacking the trade for its irresponsibility and general contribution to binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour.
To be seen handing out awards to drinks retailers opens him up to accusations of "going soft" on the trade and that must be why Home Office politicians refused to attend our event. So thank goodness Caborn has the sense to recognise the immense efforts of the trade to get its house in order. He knows that the drink problems the national media love to sensationalise are caused by a small minority of irresponsible operators and a quite large group of youths who have no sense of personal responsibility. By attending, he was sending out a message of support for all the socially-responsible members of what has always been a socially-responsible trade.
The quality and the quantity of the entrants to our awards will have convinced him he did the right thing. None present yesterday could fail to be impressed by the commitment to proper retailing standards. Both the largest companies and the smallest individuals showed a pride in selling drink safely that is an inspiration to both on and off-trades.
Morning Advertiser, along with sister title Off Licence News, has been equally proud to highlight these efforts. We're all part of this industry together, and were as aware as any retailer of the gravity of the threat that binge-drinking and anti-social behaviour poses.
To help the industry state so impressively its RDR credentials has been deeply satisfying. Let's hope the message Mr Caborn takes back to his colleagues impresses them too.
