I lost faith in the UK government a long, long time ago, not least of all because of what THEY have done to our country this year due to their total incompetence, and inability to man-up and confess that their handling of this situation was WRONG! Rather than their actions and policies SAVING LIVES, I believe they have been directly responsible for the death of thousands of my kinsmen with illnesses far more deadly than this flu-virus. Never in recorded history has a UK government stepped in and deliberately stopped hard working business people from earning a living, and especially hard hit have been those in the pub and hospitality industries, who were already struggling to survive before this nonsense!
What THEY deem to have been ‘essential’ businesses and services have been allowed to stay open and trade, but I strongly believe PUBS ARE ESSENTIAL SERVICES! Here’s why:
- Top of the list are the jobs they provide: many tens of thousands of people with limited skills and limited other possibilities can earn a decent living working in pubs – one of my first ever jobs was as a barman! Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of jobs that are created by the service industries that depend upon them: the maintenance people, suppliers, etc.
- I’m surprised the Treasury isn’t screaming at the loss of taxes from the heavy duties that are levied on the pub trade! How much tax are they losing? I mean, we’re going to have to pay for this incompetence somehow. right?
- Pubs, especially the smaller, local ones, are the hub and heart of communities.
- They are places to meet, socialise, keep up with community news, and a great safe haven for the lonely, and elderly.
- Pubs help raise money and support for good causes: approximately £100m per year!
- They are often the first to support local sports teams, and other under-funded local causes.
- Those that offer live music give opportunities to emerging artists, you’d be surprised the number of now famous musicians got their first break doing a pub gig!
I’m sure you can add to that list! It’s certainly a more substantial list than the government’s reasoning for closing tens of thousands of pubs!
“I Got P*$$ed with Santa Claus” by Tone Def Tony – the ONLY charity song raising money to help those suffering in the pub and hospitality trade this year.
BUY OUR SONG AND SUPPORT OUR GREAT PUBS!