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Oldham’s pub trade is ailing
Date published: 30 April 2010
ELECTION 2010
Thirty pubs across Oldham have shut their doors since 1997, figures have shown.
The Conservative who published the figures claim Labour’s “beer duty escalator” which pushes up alcohol taxation by above inflation every year will spell the end for many more pubs if they are re-elected.
According to the official figures given to the Tory party by government, there were 310 pubs in Oldham in 1997, and there are currently 280.
Shadow Minister for Local Government, Bob Neill said: “Under Labour there has been a surge in alcohol-fuelled violence in our high streets, while local community pubs have gone to the wall.”
Catch up with the candidates at www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/elections/
Comments
When a large percentage of the population would rather die than drink alcohol it's not surprising the drinks trade is suffering!
Couple with the massively high prices (nearly £4 for a pint of lager!) it's hardly a surprise people don't go out as often as they did.
What is killing the smaller tenancy pubs is the 'tie' whereby the operator has to take their supplies from a specified supplier and even what brand. This prevents the operator from getting a good deal and prevents the operator passing that deal on to the customer.
Breweries should make beer. Pub companies should own pubs purely as commercial property letting agents. The actual operator should be free to source their stock from wherever they want and sell whatever brand they want.
What killing the pub trade is for one the smoking ban I remember just before it arrived the none smokers saying how they would not smell of smoke on the way home. Now it looks like they are sat there on their own, by the way I don't smoke. Also the supermarkets selling booze cheaper and half the town of Oldham resembling the wild west. Then there is the knock on effect of the brewers having to keep up profit share, I should have put this in the Phil Woolas section.
At the risk of sounding like a loony conspiracy theorist it does seem as if there's been a concerted left wing strategy of driving the working man from the pub and confining them to their living rooms drinking cheap supermarket booze. This way groups of disheartened people can't get together and form strong groups who oppose neo-marxist dogma. It should be the easiest thing in the world to stop taxing pub bought alcohol and target supermarkets.
Flake - Whats a large majority and who are they, come on facts and figures!
Have Your Say
and it will only continue if brown is left in power.
oh and also if the lib dems are left in charge of ombc.
they blame the weekend violence on cheep booze in town. where? £4 for a bottle of beer? cheap?
lack of policing is the real reason for this.
theres a quater of the police presence in town now as opposed to 4 years ago.
By fedupoldhamer @ 30/04/2010 14:20:29