200 MPs back Russell on pubs
April 30, 2009 12:00 AM
More than 200 MPs from all political parties have now signed a House of Commons Motion Tabled by Colchester MP Bob Russell in support of the national campaign to save British public houses which are closing at the rate of five a day.
Mr Russell put down his Early Day Motion on the first day of the current Parliamentary session, on 3rd December, having queued for 13 hours through the night in order to Table the first ten EDMs.
His Motion headed "Campaign to Save the Great British Pub" warns about the future of Britain's 7,500 traditional public houses and sets out reasons for supporting The Campaign for Real Ale's "Axe the Beer Tax, Save the Pub" call to the Government.
Liberal Democrat Mr Russell said: "I have been contacted by many constituents on this matter. It is regrettable that the Chancellor, in this week's Budget, did not exempt traditional community public houses from his increase in beer duty. Had the higher duty been levied only on mega drinking establishments and supermarkets then this would have helped community pubs. I fear that the higher tax now puts even more of our public houses at risk.
"Supermarkets offer cheap deals without the level of restrictions and responsibilities required of responsible licensees of public houses, but our traditional community public houses are being priced out of the market by this Government which talks about sustainable communities but whose policies, in many respects, are destroying the whole concept of sustainable communities."
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