In truth they’ve been after pubs for years, not all pubs obviously’‘ just the small independent wet led type,
punitive stealth taxes, excessive business rates, the grossly unfair beer tax escalator (which automatically increased duty on beer by 2% above inflation every year ) that only applies to pubs, allowing supermarkets to use alcohol as a loss leader with no minimum pricing, the smoking ban,
All these things combined helped to contribUte to the closure of 14,000 British pubs between 2000 and 2018.
If/when we are allowed to open on the 12th April ( outside only ) we will have been forcibly closed for 33 weeks of the 55 weeks since the onset of the first lockdown on the 23.3.2020.
During the 22 weeks we have been permitted to open our doors we have been required to conform with rigid restrictions and regulations not required or implemented in any other sector of commerce or retail.
We have had to set up our own Track & Trace system.
Put in place our own and comply with our own risk assessment.
Put in place a table service only operation.
Police groups to make sure who is with who and not exceeding limits on numbers in groups.
Remove/mothball seating, erect screen, supply necessary PPE and cleaning materials and sanitizers.
Make sure everyone is wearing a face mask when walking within the pub.
Keep TV / Music volume to a minimum.
Basically in order to open your doors you have to transform your pub into everything a pub shouldn’t be, sterile, unwelcoming, cold, tiresome etc.
Then to help out they cut VAT to 5% but only on food.
Then they introduce the ‘Eat out to help Out’ scheme.
Then they say you can only open if you serve food
Do you see a trend happening here.
Before long going out for a drink will entail a choice between Wetherspoons, Brewers Fayre, Harvester etc.