The Guv'nor Dennis Griffiths

Let's stop this legal madness and talk

A man saw a pig with two wooden legs. He asked the farmer why. "Well", said the farmer, "we quite like the pig, so we are eating it a bit at a time."

If the said pig was the British pub and the farmer was the Government, the story would not be as weird as it sounds. Government is systematically killing the British pub.

Expensive new licensing laws represent change for change's sake, with reams of meaningless, uncontrollable legislation. The new smoking laws are upheld to the letter in Britain — but it seems other parts of Europe are taking a more flexible path.

I could go on.

We've been getting it in the neck for serving larger measures of wine — how do the supermarkets serve the wine they sell?

Spirits won't be poured at home using a Government sealed measure, as in a pub.

What does the Chancellor do? He adds 4p on a pint and 55p on a bottle of spirits with VAT.

With the recent brewers' increases, that equates to approximately 15p increase on a pint of ale in the space of two to three weeks.

What action do the supermarkets take?

No increases at all — and certain brands are being sold more cheaply post-budget.

Next year we are already expecting alcohol to go up by inflation plus 2% and the brewers and pubcos have to add their increases too.

All these actions encourage customers to buy cheaply from supermarkets, fuelling binge drinking and taking more people away from the controlled premises of a public house to drinking unlimited and unmeasured amounts in their own homes. It isn't the ideal scenario for the health lobby.

So it seems the Government's idea is to abolish pubs by out- pricing them, and banning smoking, so that after work the working class go straight home to smoke in enclosed spaces and drink excessive amounts of cheap alcohol bought with the weekly supermarket shop.

Supermarkets have been allowed to get more and more powerful, selling products below cost: they have already closed most corner shops, local butchers and greengrocers. Pubs seem to be next on their list.

So let's stop the madness —let's talk, try to create a more level playing field and ensure everyone pays a fair price.

If the supermarkets charged more for alcohol, the Government might see an increase in the VAT they pay.

Drinking in a pub is social drinking. Drinking at home is just uncontrolled drinking.