Hamish Champ: The government should be backing responsible pubs, not lumping them in with the 'bandits'

I was asked at an industry event the other day if I thought that with smoking out of the way the government's guns were now trained on alcohol.

I said it depends where one thinks the crosshairs will be focused. I've no doubt the new government is serious in wanting to clear the nation's streets - literally and metaphorically - of the mess it thinks irresponsible drinking can create.

But I see no earthly reason for it to crackdown on responsible drinkers, beyond hiking taxes as part of what it will doubtless refer to as a 'deficit busting' Budget.

Sure, the government will probably follow its conservative - Conservative? - head and try to instil a sense of propriety in society. But this should not be allowed to lead to enforced sobriety and yet more Nanny State-ism. It needs to have a sense of perspective.

Yes, Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, has a law 'n' order agenda in mind when it comes to the retailing of alcohol.

And naturally, whenever the Daily Mail​ starts foaming at the mouth about 24-hour pubs - never supermarkets, you'll notice - she may be inclined to view the last government's relaxation of licensing hours as something which needs reining in.

But there is enough will and purpose in the country, enough common sense in the land - even in Westminster - to persuade her to see that those who retail alcohol responsibly are working bloomin' hard at it and should be encouraged, not penalised.

The responsible ones should not be lumped in with the irresponsible. They should be treated fairly and with respect, by both politicians and the authorities alike.

It's probably an age thing, but I know a growing number of people of a similar vintage to me who have become increasingly vocal about the 'problems' caused by alcohol abuse.

They argue for a tightening of the availability of booze, notably limiting the hours supermarkets can sell alcohol, rather than arguing how bad pubs are.

When it came to legislating for and against the on-trade the last government ploughed into the sector 'studs up'.

I hope Ms May avoids any knee-jerk reactions of her own to a problem that needs well-thought out, sensible and long term solutions.

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It was good to see Publican​ blogger Pete Robinson back on the 'airwaves' again the other week.

As with anything Pete writes on the subject of the smoking ban his piece was a vigorous dissection of the evidence proffered by health experts on the benefit of the smoking ban. Agree or disagree, you pays yer money, etc.

Sadly, his reference to what he called the 'provisional wing' of Cancer Research was in my view an insult to a charity that does a lot of good work.

I expect he was using a rather unpleasant connotation to make a point. But it was a cheap shot, for all that.

As for the reader of Pete's article who claimed Cancer Research was more interested in lining its own pockets than finding a cure for cancer, well, one can only hope he gets the professional help he so clearly needs.