Spectator N0 2680 : "Two Of A...
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Pubs Face Being Forced To Close Early
//Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said the government was looking into "tightening up the hours of operation" of bars and pubs.
It comes in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour and boost health.
Speaking at the Labour conference in Liverpool, Mr Gwynne said the government's chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, had told ministers that, if trends continue, 60% of the NHS budget will be spent on diseases that could have been prevented.
Mr Gwynne said Labour is "not the fun police" nor "supernanny" but the measures were being considered for moral and economic reasons.//
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The last thing we need is this government guiding our 'morals' but they seem intent on killing the pub trade.
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As most readers know, I live in Blackpool.
All resources up here are stretched by the late-night drinking hours available - the Police, the Hospital, the RNLI, the ambulance service, the fire-brigade. Tourists seem to lose their minds when offered the ability to drink until 5am.
As a resident, I dread any of my family (particularly elderly parents & uncle) needing any sort of urgent/emergency medical treatment, especially at weekends. The hospital waiting room is full of tourists with drink-related injuries; many of them being belligerent tourists; often accompanied by police-officers, thereby depleting the availability of officers across the town.
We know that if there is an incident where we might need the police, chances are they will be delayed, dealing with drunken tourists/fights in the town centre.
The RNLI are regularly launched to fish drunks out of the sea - for some reason they decide to go for a late night/early morning swim.
The fire-brigade are deployed to rescue idiots who have got themselves stuck/trapped somewhere 'for a laugh'.
No-one could ever confuse me with a tee-totaller but even in my youth, I couldn't have, safely, drunk until 5am and then made my way back home.
I really do think that we need to look at the licensing laws - we don't need to return to the days of pubs shutting during the day but I think a 2am closing time ought to be implemented.
Most pubs I'm aware of don't close much later than they used to be forced to anyway. Bar staff also have homes to get back to.
Sure some may specialise in late hours in certain locations, where there is a demand, but force them to open & close earlier merely ensures earlier drinking and more chucked out on the street at the same time.
Some may go on to clubs, but others either continue imbibing at home or have already had their fill.
I'm unsure it'd change much, except impose government will on citizens, but if it has any effect, that'd not be beneficial to the traditional public house.
I Don't think changing pub hours will change anti-social behaviour.
If you shut all premises at 2am, the drunken half wits will just start drinking earlier and will still be a right royal pain at closing time.
Health considerations won't come in to play at all. A good session on the beer followed by a massive burger or kebab at the end is a grand night out for some.
Labour could try and get more club bouncers and street wardens by opening up the posts for sponsors and rich donors to donate (clothing provided free)
//but they seem intent on killing the pub trade.//
And I wonder why.
It's either
a) They are pampering to a certain set of voters who dislike alcohol
or
b) They know pubs are places where people get together to slate the Government. And we know what happens these days if you dont think the right way, thump on the door Starmers Stasi take you away for 2 years of reconditioninig.
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