Pub licensees call for Prime Minister to resign

A group of licensees have launched a petition calling for Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling to resign for "ensuring the demise" of the British pub.

The Justice for Licensees and the Save the Great British Pub campaign groups, run by high profile campaigner Inez Ward, believe the Prime Minister and Chancellor have fundamentally failed to help the industry.

The Save the Great British Pub campaign currently has over 188,000 members.

"Britain is renowned worldwide for the Great British pub — it is part of our history, heritage and culture, hundreds of thousands of people are reliant on this trade for employment," said Ward, lessee at the Mavericks pub in Newquay, Cornwall.

"Both Mr Brown and Mr Darling, by their actions, are ensuring the demise of the Great British pub and that is not acceptable."

Ward has written to Gordon Brown informing him of the petition as a follow-up to a letter she sent to all political party leaders in October. "I have to ask why the Labour party appear to want to destroy a trade that is steeped in historical and cultural value? Let alone the benefits that the Government receive from this trade in revenue.

"You have pledged 'real help' for businesses and families and yet for the pub trade, which starts with consumers who are part of families and then the licensees, which are both businesses and families, there has been no help whatsoever.

"The Labour Party is ensuring the demise of the Great British pub and I have to wonder why? Just what has the pub done wrong that it deserves the battering that it is currently receiving?"

• To sign the petition visit www.justiceforlicensees.org.uk​​.