Pub closures spark beer tax plea

"Is Beer Tax Killing Our Locals" ? What a load of **** that statement is, the price of fuel does not stop us driving, what is killing our pubs is the supermarkets so until they are hauled into line with the pubs then pubs will continue to close. The government cant do anything about it as they are TOO far down the chain of command, its time they grew a pair, who runs Britain ? Fuel Companies, Banks and Supermarkets, its time this government stood up and took charge

Does nobody remember the last time this lot was in power !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As an ex publican I can tell you exactly what is wrong. Like everything else, taxed to the hilt by the government.

The breweries are charging exorbitant rentals through the barrel-age, to pay the tax on the strength of there ale or spirits and the cost of transport. Therefore the price of beer is forced up to pay their tax etc. Then the landlord has to pay the VAT, and his hiked up rent. So up goes the price even further.

Joe Public just cannot afford to pay over £3-00 a pint, it is ridiculous. He is taxed on his earnings, then VAT on everything he buy's, and then extra duty on beer, fags and petrol etc. We are just taxed to death, and businesses are just unpaid tax collectors for the government.

Publicans are working nearly fifteen hours a day, seven days a week and for what ? He is being bled dry. Is it any wonder pub's are closing down ? I am certainly glad I am out of it all, and I pity the poor blighter's still struggling to make a living from it.

We really need to face up to reality here. Pubs have been closing at a rate of knots since 2007, when the smoking ban was introduced. Where are all the non-smokers who would be flocking to the pubs once they became places of clean air - well that's a laugh for a start - pubs still stink but now it is the malodorous stench of stale beer and b.o. that is prevalent in every pub?

Incidentally I do not smoke but the smoking ban was an act of undemocratic spite, which is now costing thousands of jobs in the licensed industry. And the particularly nasty decision to include private clubs in the bill was even more draconian because what right has any government to dictate that people, who congregate together in private, should not engage in legal behaviour.

And as for covering cigarettes up in Supermarkets this just shows the stupidity of the governing classes. Come on, hands up - how many of you started smoking when you were a kid because of the bright and shiny kiosks in supermarkets. Now hands up - how many started as a result of peer pressure.

The answer to getting people to stop smoking is education. The only other honest way is to make the whole kit and caboodle illegal - of course you would then have to tax everybody else to the tune of £12.1 billion to replace the lost Excise Duty & VAT. The NHS itself estimates that £2.7 billion is spent on smoking related illnesses - so at the very least taxation will need to by £9.4 billion pounds year on year, with adjustments for inflation.

Add to that the fact that, however harsh this may sound, smokers die earlier and, therefore, cost us less in pensions.

I blame the greedy brewery pub chains, thats where all the landlords takings go. Any money freed up by a cut in tax will just be gobbled up by them it certainly wont stay with the landlords. In the states its illegal for breweries to own bar chains to prevent this very obvious situation arising. The UK is the home of the legalised rip off

im a dj that works in a lot of pubs, but i have found since the smoking ban, that has hit more pubs than alcohol pricing.

Tax the crap and leave the real beer alone & force the pubs to have a lower price on soft drinks. In my local a pint of "gun produced" Coke is 40p more than a pint of bitter! A J2o is 50p more and a "splash" mixer is 50p - Sorry off topic, just a rant......................

The Government taxes us which ever way they can.They don't like it if we can enjoy ourselfs and if we want to its taxed.
Just work,pay Tax and when 65 just die
very sad indeed

I am not a drinker, of beer or otherwise, but Pubs have been shutting at an alarming rate. Personally I blame the liberalisation of Liquor laws, primarily under Labour, which now allows super markets to sell beer etc at massively discounted rates.

It's yet another way to ruin the community spirit (not a pun intended). I was asked at a local council get together re 'what do we think about how to build up our community?'
Well, they demolished the market, cinema, swimming baths and now pub closures (though some of those needed closing due to weekly drunken rioting and drugs and sales to underage drinking).
All these places including pubs and clubs were meeing places for the whole community. Since these have gone, the community spirit has all but disappeared and more crime has replaced it.
There used to be non-smoking facilities and smoke rooms in our old pubs in this area and everyone respected others choices. Today, not even the government respects those choices.
I continue to be amazed at the discrimination towards those who choose to smoke as though they are at fault totally for the cancer cases soaring. Yet, no one considers the carcinogenic substances in foods, plastics, microwaves, chemtrails (thanks to the government allowing this) etc etc. Research can prove all this, but so many folks have their heads so far in the sand they refuse to dig out the facts. Lets bash the smokers.
Tax them and the industries and the families and the hardworking folks and the government refuse to even come clean as to where this is all going! It's off to support other countries (mainly Islamic) and in their own pockets.
It's beginning to look like a 'Prince John' taxation system. Rob the poor to keep the rich richer! As for the House of Commons still being allowed to pay a lower price and smoke in their bars and workplace, it's shameful in the extreme and proves the point. One law for them and one for the rest!!