Pubs throw out the Daily Mail

Licensees are queuing up to back The Publican's "Say No To The Daily Mail!" campaign.

Scores of publicans have been filling out the form on thePublican.com and agreeing to boycott the newspaper. To add your message of support, click here​.

Many licensees say they have already stopped buying the Daily Mail since the newspaper's "Say No To 24-Hour Pubs" push began earlier this year, while others have said they are throwing it out now.

The Publican began the initiative last week, after highlighting a number of erroneous facts and misreporting in Daily Mail stories criticising pubs and the new licensing laws.

A selection of messages of support from readers:

"Now, now lets leave the Daily Mail alone... alone on the newsagents shelves"

"The Daily Mail seems to be trying to convince people that all pubs will be open all day and all night all the time. What it must be doing is, as usual, backing the Tories and trying to make the government's excellent idea seem stupid. It is just using its usual spoiling tactics and we all suffer"

"We have taken the Daily Mail for many years. We are a rural pub that has the Mail delivered by our milkman. Sorry no more"

"Liberalisation of the licensing laws is fundamentally the right idea. The clumsy way it's been done should not be further sabotaged by a bunch of uniformed, unelected and seemingly inebriated bunch of lazy journalists. Otherwise we may all turn to drink - if we can still find one!"

"I will no longer be buying this paper for my customers to read, due to the said articles"

"The Daily Mail only supports what it thinks the public is already disapproving of. Doesn't take Einstein to write a paper then. And anyway, buy one get one free in supermarkets is ok, but we cant do it? I operate city-centre outlets and most young people are slightly drunk before they leave the house, drinking at home and bringing supermarket booze into the pubs!"

"I agree that the Daily Mail has turned into the Daily Wail, and has been far too general in its criticism of pubs when - if the facts are analysed - off-licences and the "stupor markets" are by far the more likely to be the originators of irresponsible drinking.

"I already boycotted the Mail after its front page two weeks ago. Good on you for taking this up"

"I have already sent an e-mail to the Daily Mail stating that, after many years, I am no longer buying the paper. The headlines that offended me were the ones stating that the taxpayer would have to pay for the new licences"

Related articles:​

Boycott the Daily Mail (8 September 2005)

Why it's time for action against the Daily Mail... (8 September 2005)

Daily Mail: 'The Publican says' (8 September 2005)