The industry - and pubs in particular - have been taken to the cleaners by the Government over the last few years. Hell bent on stamping out binge drinking, the Chancellor et al have ratcheted up booze duties to levels which many believe are killing the British pub. Ignoring the fact that bingeing is largely the practice of supermarket booze-fuelled teenagers rather than your average pub goer, Labour raised beer taxes by 18pc last year. Now is the time for the Government to call time on its plan to increase duties by a further 2pc above inflation over the next four years - The Telegraph
Plans to make employment agencies pay VAT on the wages of temporary workers they supply could lead to 150,000 job losses nationwide, the Government was warned yesterday. The caution came as the drinks industry claimed that at least 75,000 jobs would be at risk if the Chancellor goes ahead with plans to increase alcohol duty by 2 per cent above the rate of inflation for the next four years - The Times
Share stakes in Mitchells & Butlers have changed hands more times than a pack of Paul Daniels' playing cards. Intoxicating rumours yesterday that a 6 per cent block of the All Bar One pubs and Harvester restaurant chain was on the move got dealers excited and the shares frothed up to 233p before closing 13¾p better at 226½p - The Daily Mail
A balaclava-clad gang murdered a pub drinker with baseball bats, a knife and a samurai sword on the orders of their drug-dealing mother, a court heard. Diane Churchley, 49, her two sons, Liam 19, and John 22, and her two cousins, Jason and Craig Hartrey have denied murdering father of two, Alan Riddock. He was attacked in front of his family at the Park House pub, Bedminster, Bristol in May 2008 - BBC
Drinkers are asked to reveal personal details to enter some pubs in Croydon town centre under technology dubbed the "ultimate Big Brother". Identification scanners not only take the customer's date of birth, sex and photograph, but record the address, passport or driving licence number and how often they have visited the pub. - Croydon Guardian