I drove past what was the Sutton Arms in Kidderminster the other day, and to see just a pile of rubble where the pub once stood was very sad to see as I grew up around the corner from this pub, but sadly this is not the only casualty, and it will not be the last either.

Since the Smoking Ban was introduced in 2007, along with the recession, and with the unfair competition of cheap supermarket booze, it’s estimated that over 5000 pubs have now closed in the last 3 years, and with those pubs went thousands of Jobs and millions in lost tax revenue.

A new Minister for Pubs, John Healey was announced in Feb to supposedly protect the remaining 50,000 + pubs left, but it took the closing, and in many cases the bulldozing of more than 5000 pubs before the Labour government decided to act. What effect the appointment of such a minister will actually do to stop over 30 pubs a week closing is yet to be seen.

Pubs are part of the solution to the drinking problems we have today, they are meeting places where sensible controlled drinking can take place, and of course it’s a traditional meeting place, where the world and all its problems are discussed and put right with a pint or two.

Some pubs have managed to cope ok with the smoking ban and have adapted to the change very well, but ALL pubs still suffer the same unfair competition from the supermarkets. Putting even more tax on alcohol is not the answer as it’s not fair to those that work hard and pay more than enough taxes already. UKIP would cut taxes on traditional draught beers such as real ale, ciders and some larger to help the Pubs stay open, and also look at the pricing structures used by the breweries that sell to the pubs and supermarkets.

The Smoking Ban has played a big part in closing Pubs all over the country. UKIP’s Policy is to repeal the smoking ban and replace it with requirements for smoking and smoke-free areas where practical, basically let the owners decide on what’s best for their pub, if its going to base its business on the selling of food then there has to be a smoke free environment, or if they wish to be an all smoking PUB, then they should be allowed to choose and customers would then have a clear choice as well.

And of course the intrusive EU has to be involved somewhere, its planning to stick another nail in the coffin of our pubs, and we could see a Smoking Ban in all beer Gardens as well, so no matter what our politicians try to say or do now, IT’S THE EU that’s going to kill off our pubs if we are not allowed to deal with this issue ourselves.

At the end of the day it’s about choice and the freedom to choose.