Conservatism

General Election 2017

Election survey shows bias towards the right

09-May-2017 By Ed Bedington

The votes are in and the pub operators have spoken. It is certainly looking like a resounding victory for the Conservatives, if the pub sector has anything to say about it.

general election

Community pubs minister Hopkins faces battle

21-Apr-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

An anti-pubco campaigner has decided to stand against Kris Hopkins in the election, in protest against his “poor record” as community pubs minister.

General election

Tories pledge to freeze licence cost

14-Apr-2015 By Helen Gilbert

The Conservative Party has vowed to freeze the cost of a premises licence should it win the next election, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) has learned.

MA300: MRO 'could create pubco giants'

11-Feb-2015 By Ellie Bothwell

Leading leisure analyst Simon French of Cenkos has predicted that the pubs code will result in the formation of one or two large property companies with 10,000-plus pubs each.

'Per drink surcharge' could help fund councils

30-Aug-2011 By Adam Pescod

The Liberal Democrats have cited a 'per drink surcharge' as a possible means of covering the costs that drinkers impose on local councils.

SNP vows to revive minimum pricing

15-Mar-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Scottish National Party has vowed to revive its failed campaign to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.

BII top licensees book reform meeting with MP

30-Sep-2010 By Lesley Foottit

Richard and Loren Pope are the first licensees to act in response to the MA's call for a "peasants' revolt" against proposed licensing reform changes.

SNP urges cross party support for minimum pricing

10-Jun-2010 By John Harrington

Scotland's health secretary has urged MSPs to rise above party politics and support minimum pricing. It came as MSPs are set to debate Scotland's...

Tories commit to banning below-cost off-trade sales

13-Apr-2010 By James Wilmore

The Tories have confirmed they plan to ban the off-trade from selling alcohol below cost, if elected. In the party's election manifesto, launched...

Magistrate questions Tory drink plans

20-Oct-2009 By John Harrington

The Conservatives' hard-line plans to shake-up licensing would quickly face a legal challenge, according to a senior magistrate. Last week, the...

Paul Smith: We must not lurch from one bad relationship to the next

15-Oct-2009

Yet more generally as a country we are coming to the end of a long and torrid love affair with New Labour. Not wishing to sound like one of those...

Trade fears Tory plans will hit pubs

07-Oct-2009 By John Harrington

Trade chiefs fear the Conservative Party's hard-line plans for alcohol and licensing will mean more pub closures and penalise responsible operators....

Save the Pub message hits every delegate at Tory conference

05-Oct-2009 By James Wilmore

The plight of the British pub will be uppermost in delegates' minds at this week's Conservative Party conference thanks to a 'Save the Pub' message...

Cameron pledges action on cheap alcohol

20-Aug-2009 By Ewan Turney

Conservative leader David Cameron has pledged action against cheap off-trade booze after a night out with police in Hull.

Marc Allinson: Big Brother is watching YOU

28-Jul-2009

Every little rule and law that the government brings in, in itself, seems to be of little concern, such as the newly-proposed national database of...

MP calls on Cameron to address the tie

24-Feb-2009

Publican columnist Greg Mulholland MP has urged David Cameron to address the power of the pubcos in his party's new campaignIn a move that has been...

MP: limit pubcos to 2,000 pubs

24-Feb-2009 By Ewan Turney

The Tories must introduce a second set of Beer Orders to limit the pubcos to owning 2,000 pubs if they are serious about saving the British pub. That...

Hamish Champ: It's gloom. It's doom. It's despondency with a capital 'D'

20-Apr-2008 By Hamish Champ

What do you think is the 'final nail in the pub industry's coffin'? Is it cheap booze at the supermarket? Is it the smoking ban? Is it the tie? Is it...

Tories' three-strikes underage sales plan

06-Mar-2008 By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u

The Conservative Party wants a "three strikes and you're out" rule for underage booze sales and a ban on selling alcohol below cost price. The Tories...

Paul Baker

10-Jan-2008

Paul Baker, managing director, Thwaites Corporate goal for the year? Our long-term focus has always been on investment in our people, pubs and brands...

Tories promise red-tape cuts

16-Aug-2007

A senior Conservative MP has assured licensees he will slash red-tape for pubs if his party is elected. In an exclusive interview with The Publican,...

MP calls for

14-Jul-2005

use of drug test machine A senior Tory MP has called for all pubs and clubs in her Maidenhead constituency to use a machine that tests punters for...

Other areas of concern

21-Apr-2005

Smoking The party wants a self-regulatory approach, agreed with the industry. Conservative industry spokesman Stephen O'Brien says: "Within the time...

Licensees unimpressed by Tories' binge-drinking plans

21-Apr-2005

Licensees have given a lukewarm reaction to the Conservative Party's five-point plan to tackle binge-drinking.Tory leader Michael Howard announced...