Murder most foul, as in the best it is.But this most foul, strange and unnatural.
The modern Labour Party, for all its supposed "working class roots" rather dislikes the pleasures of Britain's actual working classes. And nothing illustrates this better than their direct, premeditated assault on the pub.
Here's Peter Oborne (getting it spot on for a change):
Some people believe Labour’s defining legacy is Iraq. Others think it is the hunting ban. But the issue which has affected most people and which has damaged the fabric and appearance of British community more than anything else is the loss of the local pub.
And Labour didn't kill the pub from neglect, the act was deliberate - the smoking ban and the duty escalator were introduced in the face of the industry telling Labour that this would kill the pub. And the first pubs to go were the proper locals - 'wet led' and used by people who walked there for a drink, a chat and a fag with their friends.
The Labour Government did this deliberately - they could have stuck with the manifesto promise and protected pubs from their righteous legislation. Instead they forced a ban through that has closed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pubs and clubs. Places where, for generations, working class men and women had gone to enjoy the small pleasures their lives could afford - a smoke, a drink and good company. Gone forever, killed off by Labour.
It was foul murder.
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4 comments:
Just heard Radio 4′s “Food Programme” with their special on pubs and pub closures. They studiously avoided mentioning the smoking ban so much you could almost hear their spines cracking as they bent themselves out of shape to do so. Only two people mentioned it – a landlord who said it had had a massively negative impact, and another landlord who said that it had actually been good for them, as they served food. Why he couldn’t have just banned smoking off his own bat was never explored. And of course the second landlord wasn’t a real landlord running a pub that was surviving in the market. He was running a pub which had been bought by the Parish Council (presumably because the market dictated that no-one wanted to go there before, which is why it was closing) and was now run “on behalf of the community.”
Also lots of talk about “people’s drinking habits changing” and “massive social change” without going that one step further and asking why people were once happy to go to the pub but now preferred to not go or to stay at home. Pathetic.
Pubs are unofficial (English) parliaments, where people go to put the world to rights, so therefore must be eradicated.
I don't remember mass opposition from the lib dems or Tories. Why hasn't the current government reversed the law, why did DC and NC rubbish the very thought of amending the ban?
Anon.
Before Cameron or the boy Clegg can defy a government department, they need to have an absolutely cast iron case. Until then, they must appear to be totally enthusiastic. There is no middle ground.
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