Send us your pub election stories
Pubs are gearing up to play their part in the country's closest election contest for decades.
In the last few days, pubs have ramped up their political involvement — with everything from visits from statesmen to planned election night parties.
Cleggmania arrived at one Worcestershire pub on Sunday — and trade increased 30% — when a crowd of around 500 descended on the Nags Head in Malvern to see the Lib Dem leader.
Clare Willetts, licensee at the freehold pub, said Clegg stayed for around an hour. She said most people were "positive and supportive", although he was heckled about prison sentencing and the Tories.
Gordon Brown visited Real Pubs' North London Tavern in Kilburn to attend a rally with local candidate Glenda Jackson.
Assistant manager Jane Green said about 100 people attended, while 50 more stood outside.
"It was a busy day and the visit certainly generated extra attention, though it's difficult to say whether that meant extra trade or whether the crowds put people off."
Shropshire host John Ellis is gearing up for a long election night following the count.
"We will be recording each party's results on boards, along with big-name winners and losers."
Ellis will be serving a choice of two aptly-named ales for the occasion: Abbeydale's Corruption, which has a picture of the Houses of Parliament, and Northumberland's Hung Parliament.
London venues including the Charles Lamb at Angel, Le Café Anglais in Queensway, the Parliamentary Waffle House in Covent Garden, and Westminster's Cinnamon Club were also planning election parties.
Meanwhile, following the time-honoured tradition of pubs acting as polling stations, Liz Birch of the Black Venus in Challacombe, Devon, will welcome locals casting their vote.
"It gives us a little bit of a boost in trade given we aren't usually open during the day, and some people stay for dinner," she said.
Tell us your election story
Are you acting as a polling station or holding an election party? If so we want to hear from you.
Send us your story and pictures by emailing ewan.turney@william-reed.co.uk and don't forget to include the name and location of your pub and contact details.
Not sure who to vote for?
The Morning Advertiser has done the hard work for you and trawled through the manifestos of the three main parties on the key subjects affecting the pub trade.
Crucially the MA also gives you a summary verdict of just what the policies mean for the pub trade.
And we haven't stopped there. We have looked at four smaller parties — Greens, Plaid Cymru, Scottish National Party and UKIP.
All the information is contained on a handy, downloadable PDF.
• Download: Pubs and Party policies
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