Elliott: Pubs paying for banks’ and politicians’ actions

10-Jun-2012 - Last updated on 12-Mar-2017 at 00:37 GMT

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Elliott: "The pub sector is a very good example of an opportunity missed"

The majority of politicians I have met over the years have been completely out of touch with reality and more worryingly, have no relationship whatsoever with ‘the man in the street’.

Although I had not voted for the previous 20 years, I decided two years ago to exercise my right and subsequently voted and was generally pleased with the coalition that was formed and with David Cameron as Prime Minister.

So, if we were all judging the first 730 days, what would we conclude? Personally, I am hugely disappointed that this government has not re-energised industry by introducing incentives to encourage capital investment and increase employment.

The pub sector is a very good example of an opportunity missed.

If I was Prime Minister, I would have instructed RBS and Lloyds to start lending to small businesses and demanded a weekly update from them.

I hear from so many licensees with profitable pubs that their bank has either withdrawn a long-standing overdraft completely or reduced it down to an almost worthless level and will not even consider a potential loan to drive further sales and profit.

These pubs are paying for the incredibly naive and often ill-judged decisions banks have made in the past.

Well Mr Cameron if you want to be around post May 2015 I suggest you and your ministers start to talk with the ‘man in the street’, get
to understand what’s required and, more importantly, do something positive to help.

What is, of course, evident, is that the recent spate of public relations disasters involving, for example, the pasty and granny taxes, reinforce the need for accurate and positive messages that the general population will buy in to.

A pub local to me has done exactly that. The licensees organised a Diamond Jubilee weekend, with events for all ages, culminating with fireworks and a party.

At the same time, Euro 2012 is being advertised and a customer committee has been formed to encourage support for the Great Britain Team during the Olympics.

The PR being generated via email, Facebook and Twitter is first class and the potential goodwill is incalculable. Perhaps I will drop a note to Mr Cameron so that he can listen and learn.

Finally, we have just had a great Jubilee party in our village and it really did fill you with a sense of great pride in the fantastic service our Queen has given over these past 60 years. God bless her.