UKIP MEP ASKS FOR SMOKING ROOMS IN PUBS

West Midlands UKIP MEP, Mike Nattrass, has launched a major campaign for designated smoking rooms to be reintroduced in public houses to boost the struggling pub industry.

The UKIP MEP said the introduction of the smoking ban in pubs on July 1 2007 has had a disastrous impact on the nation’s pub industry.

With thousands of pubs permanently calling time since the 2008 Budget and with further beer tax increases expected in April’s budget, Mr Nattrass today said the smoking ban, which followed the EU’s Council recommendation 2003/54 calling on all EU member states to “implement legislation providing suitable protection from the effects of passive smoking at working places“, has hit the pub trade hard.

Now, Mr Nattrass has urged members of the community and the pub industry itself to back his campaign for separate ventilated and un-staffed smoking rooms to take their rightful place back in the British local.

Mr Nattrass said: “My view is that smoking in pubs must involve a separate room which is ventilated where no staff are forced to work in the smoke. “It would mean that many customers would return to pubs which are focal points in local communities up and down the country.
“The local pub is at the heart of communities and the introduction of the smoking ban has undermined the British pub,” he added. While UKIP does not like prohibitions and bans in general, UKIP does recognise that the smoking ban has been popular among certain groups, such as families and those wishing to eat out in pubs. However, UKIP believes that a more common sense solution is needed.

UKIP states the smoking ban should be amended to allow pub landlords - freehold, tenanted/leased and managed - and club managers to provide contained and ventilated 'smoking rooms' within pubs and clubs, where customers desire it.

UKIP Steps Up Fight to Save the British Pub

The battle to save the traditional British pub is today (11.3.09) being stepped up by the UK Independence Party (UKIP). Already well known for speaking out against the slow extinction of the British pub, through a combination of the over taxing of beer and over zealous health and safety legislation, UKIP is using National No Smoking Day to start a ‘Save the Pub’ a petition, with its own website www.savethepub.co.uk which also features a major policy document ‘Pubs and Smoking’ that contains far reaching proposals aimed at keeping British pubs open.

David Campbell Bannerman, the Party’s Deputy Leader and Eastern Counties Lead Candidate in the forthcoming European Election as well as its policy director said: “There is nothing more traditionally British than the local pub but we are losing them at a rate of around 40 a week and they may be wiped out unless there is a major effort to save them. UKIP has a whole range of ideas for turning this situation around. Among other things, we would cut the duty on draught beers, real ale, cider and some lagers. We would introduce a Royal Commission to investigate beer pricing to sort out the current problems with wholesale prices which strongly disadvantage pubs.

“We would also cut business rates on community pubs and remove local authorities from the licensing process. Community pubs play a role in social cohesion through providing a comfortable environment for people to meet and talk. They are also a controlled drinking environment which offers a bulwark against the binge drinking problem.

“In regard to the smoking ban, we fully recognise its popularity in many parts of the community but UKIP would take a more flexible approach toward its enforcement in pubs, which would be allowed to have separate, contained and well ventilated smoking rooms as well as outside smoking areas using patio heaters. The EU ban on patio heaters is absurd as their impact on the environment is negligible and certainly not worth the loss of an important local amenity”.

To read the full UKIP policy: ‘Pubs and Smoking’ and to sign the Save the Pub petition, go to www.savethepub.co.uk UKIP will also be delivering special 'Save the Pub' beer mats to pubs all over the Eastern counties.

Cheapest Pint In Britain ?

You might have heard about JD Wetherspoons doing pints from £1 but we have found a pub cheaper .Nick Hogan UKIP'S Parliamentary Candidate for Chorley has launched a 98p pint to highlight the "stupidity" of Wetherspoon's 99p offer.

His Lancashire pub the ''Swan With Two Necks'' in Chorley is offering customers a 3.5% brew called "With a Spoon" specially commissioned from the Barons Revenge Brewery for the pub. The pint will be served with a plastic spoon and customers who collect ten spoons will get a free pint.

The deal is the brainchild of well-known licensee Nick Hogan, famous for his stance against the smoke ban.

"I've done this to highlight the stupidity of Wetherspoons," said Hogan. "Their 99p pint will not benefit the general pub trade — just their chain. This is at a time when the pub trade is in serious decline for a number of reasons — not least the smoking ban.

"This will not help the industry and will encourage the sort of drunkenness that the public is thoroughly fed up with. It is irresponsible and stupid."

The deal at the Swan With Two Necks begins this Friday.

UKIP Launch Campaign To Protect Britain's Pubs

A campaign to protect Britain's pubs is to be launched in Wigan on the 10th of December 2008 UKIP chose the town as venue for the launch of its Save The British Pub campaign and will roll it out nationwide if the event is a success.

UKIP is preparing for a public meeting at Newtown Labour Club.UKIP wants a change in the law to allow smoking rooms and also wants the Government to lower taxes on drinks. It chose Wigan because it believes there is great support for pubs in the town.

The campaign comes as the third Standish pub closed in as many weeks. Many traditional pubs are now boarded up across the borough.Wigan UKIP chairman Alan Freeman will chair the meeting and guest speaker will be anti-smoking ban UKIP landlord Nick Hogan.

UKIP have also invited Wigan MP Neil Turner to debate on the evening, although his office have said that with Parliament sitting that day he is unlikely to attend.

Mr Freeman said: "With Christmas and the New Year festivities just around the corner, now is the ideal time to launch. People who maybe haven't been out for a while, go out for a drink and are reminded how important pubs and clubs are in community life.

"I can't think of anything more wrong than the sight of 70, 80 and 90-year-olds having to stand outside in the cold because they happen to like a smoke.
"No wonder some have given up going out altogether, and are now suffering the consequences by being lonely and isolated. I go to Labour clubs and social clubs myself, and am very worried about what is going to happen to many of them.

"I'm a smoker myself, but I'm not saying it is good for you or for everyone. But I can't see what is wrong with having a ventilated room set aside in a pub or club for smokers."

Nick Hogan, who runs the Swan With Two Necks in Chorley, is the towns UKIP candidate in parliamentary elections.He has been in the pub trade for 20 years.

UKIP is now the "only hope" for Britain's pubs, and a recent poll in trade paper the Morning Advertiser, 68% thought that only UKIP could save Britain’s beleaguered pubs and backed UKIP's efforts to reverse the smoking ban and change the drinks tax rates.

Mr Freeman said: "We would revise the smoking ban to allow more choice, and we believe pubs and clubs should be able to choose to be smoking or not.

UKIP Launch Protect Our Pubs Campaign

A campaign to protect Britain's pubs is to be launched in Wigan next month.UKIP chose the town as venue for the launch of its Save The British Pub campaign and will roll it out nationwide if the event is a success.

The party is preparing for a public meeting at Newtown Labour Club on December the 10th 2008.UKIP wants a change in the law to allow smoking rooms and also wants the Government to lower taxes on drinks. It chose Wigan because it believes there is great support for pubs in the town.

The campaign comes as the third Standish pub closed in as many weeks. Many traditional pubs are now boarded up across the borough.Wigan UKIP chairman Alan Freeman will chair the meeting and guest speaker will be anti-smoking ban UKIP landlord Nick Hogan.

UKIP have also invited Wigan MP Neil Turner to debate on the evening, although his office have said that with Parliament sitting that day he is unlikely to attend.

Mr Freeman said: "With Christmas and the New Year festivities just around the corner, now is the ideal time to launch. People who maybe haven't been out for a while, go out for a drink and are reminded how important pubs and clubs are in community life.

"I can't think of anything more wrong than the sight of 70, 80 and 90-year-olds having to stand outside in the cold because they happen to like a smoke.
"No wonder some have given up going out altogether, and are now suffering the consequences by being lonely and isolated. I go to Labour clubs and social clubs myself, and am very worried about what is going to happen to many of them.

"I'm a smoker myself, but I'm not saying it is good for you or for everyone. But I can't see what is wrong with having a ventilated room set aside in a pub or club for smokers."

Nick Hogan, who runs the Swan With Two Necks in Chorley, is the towns UKIP candidate in parliamentary elections.He has been in the pub trade for 20 years.

UKIP is now the "only hope" for Britain's pubs, and a recent poll in trade paper the Morning Advertiser, 68% thought that only UKIP could save Britain’s beleaguered pubs and backed UKIP's efforts to reverse the smoking ban and change the drinks tax rates.

Mr Freeman said: "We would revise the smoking ban to allow more choice, and we believe pubs and clubs should be able to choose to be smoking or not.