Just to remind you, the bill is to ensure that pubs and independent shops obtain planning permission prior to demolition.
Well, please forgive me for not getting desperately excited by this contribution to the long-term viability of pubs. If Mr Huppert really wants to help the industry, then why doesn’t he canvass his Lib Dem mates in the coalition for help?
Here are a number of suggestions:
1. Pressure all high-street banks to return to sensible, helpful levels of loans and overdraft facilities.
2. Join the Jacques Borel campaign to reduce VAT from 20% to 5%, which would stimulate more consumer visits to pubs and further capital investment.
3. Help to cut the huge amount of bureaucracy around pubs.
I can suggest some additional campaigns, Mr Huppert, if you are interested. In reality, we simply have far too many pubs in the UK and, to ensure the ongoing viability of the sector, I believe that up to 10,000 pubs need to close and be de-licensed.
This requires both local authorities and the Campaign for Real Ale not to oppose every closure, and instead act for the overall benefit of the industry.
I have debated often in the past with these two groups when they have opposed a closure, when two or more pubs still remain in the immediate area.
I will accept that it’s vital to try and keep the ‘last pub in the village’ open, however, when that is the case, local authorities should offer to reduce business rates to 10% to encourage the pub to remain open. They should also require locals to give support by visiting it and spending!
I live in a small village with a single pub, but no shop. However, we arranged the recent Jubilee celebrations around the pub and on the bank holiday Monday the pub’s takings were equal to a normal week’s trade, and I have no doubt that a number of villagers will now use the pub more often.
Finally, with the Olympics almost upon us, let’s get right behind Team GB and hang lots of Union Jacks outside all our pubs, and, perhaps, encourage customers to take part in your own pub Olympics. Good luck.