Tories plan to end 24-hour licensing

The Conservatives want to end 24-hour licensing, claiming it has failed to create a café culture.

Tory home affairs spokesman Chris Grayling said that his party would be "more robust about licensing rules" in a speech given yesterday.

"There is now a strong case to end Labour's 24-hour drinking regime," he said. "It has not created a continental café culture — it has just made things worse in many town and city centres."

The Tories have yet to flesh out details on how they would restrict 24-hour licences — the vast majority of which are held by supermarkets.

"If he has concerns about 24-hour drinking — he should first find out how many pubs have 24-hour licences," said Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations chief executive Tony Payne.

"It is very few. Most 24-hour licences are held by supermarkets. If there are problems at premises, there are already powers to deal with them. People have to remember that the change in licensing system cost each licensee thousands of pounds and caused chaos."

Grayling also promised tougher enforcement. "Retailers who systematically break licensing laws should simply be closed. Permanently. So should clubs that allow drug taking on their premises. And the powers to do so should be simple, and quick.

He added: "I will take other steps to stop unacceptable practices in the sale of alcohol to young people. I know of one place where it is possible to get alcohol deliveries to a local park. That should be stopped.

"We cannot allow a culture of public binge-drinking and the resulting public nuisance to continue unchallenged."