Tuesday 2 December 2008
Monday 1 December 2008
1)
It's plain to see that pubs are having the life squeezed out of them - some 30 close every week and many of those left scrape a living. Others have had to reinvent themselves and most choke under more regulation.
The smoking ban has been the biggest setback but since given way to a host of other problems such as councils
taking pubs to court for people enjoying the banter in beer gardens - surely what pubs are for? Local authorities have become so petty and mean spirited that a group of London pensioners were moved on from their regular meet at some public benches - under noise regulations.
As with most things our so called representatives think they can take us for granted and in the case of the smoking ban are prepared to lie through the teeth to get their way.
It seems that this government’s interests lie in regulating us to death as they intrude in more areas of our lives - everywhere from the workplace, to what should be open, public life and even into our homes. Politics these days is less about the best way forward for society and
individuals, now turned inwards and more about restraint. They claim to represent our
interests when clearly they don’t.
It’s not all bad though as there are the beginnings of a fightback. In Europe German, Danish and Swiss licensees have won concessions, some regions have far more liberal laws and bars in the Netherlands have started clubbing together to demonstrate.
The Painters’ Arms, Drighlington and a demonstration based on the Westgate run,
Wakefield, are a couple of examples in West Yorkshire where the ban has been publicly challenged and wary authorities backed down.
Maverick landlord Stuart Smith from Halifax jumped through hoops trying to find a loophole. Others have mounted direct legal challenges with a London club even hiring
Cherie Blair (liberty eh, Cherie?). Hamish Howitt in Blackpool challenged the ban by rebuilding his smoke room and running himself ragged standing in elections (for his sins he’s in court Tuesday 2nd December).
Many others have after hours smoke-ins - some get away with it, some don’t. Given the smoking ban and the thinking behind it is deeply unpopular it’s surprising the level of compliance - or that we hide what were until recently quite normal and acceptable activities. There is a clear groundswell of opinion against what the govt is doing yet too often it’s said ‘there’s nothing we can do’, we `moan amongst ourselves and put up with it.
There’s plenty that can be done and the first thing to accept is that politicians are just people, in this case people with bad ideas. It’s likely that Gordon Brown’s £500 billion bankjob is merely throwing more of our money down the hole as there is no change of direction in their outlook. It may provide them with some desperately needed legitimacy - might even get them through Christmas - but, in effect it’s us that will pay for it should we let them carry on as they are.
Should we let them. There are still the remnants of democracy and now while our representatives are in panic it’s time to influence the process in our favour.
2)
There is of course no 'right' to be drunk or to smoke anywhere and everywhere we please. Not that we'd want to. Through the course of our lives these become matters we're usually grown up about enough to determine ourselves. Despite an ever growing list of regulations we tend to negotiate things better informally, that is, as free willing adults amongst others. As for smoking then the simplest solution is to have smoke rooms back or choice of venue but the authorities aren’t interested in reasoned choice, instead wanting to directly shape the habits of people into something they consider appropriate.
New Labour have introduced over 3000 new laws - one for every day they've been in power. They've carped on relentlessly, criticised and effectively criminalised normal behaviour. We're sleepwalking into a society where we're continuously watched, personal details filed - ours, not theirs - and often lost. We’re told what to eat, where from and reprimanded for taking foreign holidays, personal transport is becoming a sin, putting the bin out on the wrong day can get you fined and even what we talk about is becoming regulated. Perhaps such measures would be tolerable if it was the case that the country and economy are going to ruin through the actions of us ‘feckless oiks’ but this is much more about their lack of direction, abandoning faith in the public and anything resembling a political project. Instead of any confident forward looking program political parties now preach control and us being happy with a reduced lot.
It would be a farce if it wasn’t the case these people were supposed to be in control yet they’ve had a hand in messing up everything - the economy, pensions, housing market, education, ‘ventures overseas’. Everything.
Yet Brown struts about all man-of-the-hour like, he seemingly fitting these troubled economic times. Given that it was the govt’s lack of leadership, constant talks about talks (that keep them in well paid jobs) and constantly berating the masses for desiring higher living standards then this is rich indeed and good reason for not being too excited by Brown’s bank bailout or assurances to help us all through the hard times ahead.
As Einstein said, you don’t fix a problem with the same level of thinking that caused it.
The opposition?
The government is somewhat let off the hook by the opposition swallowing the same message about restraint - from the ‘need’ to accommodate to the environment down to increasing law and order to keep us in line as per usual.
Briefly, and quite honourably, David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden (near Hull) sought to make a case for liberty yet this ultimately on quite narrow grounds - and steered clear of by his party leadership. Perhaps latching on to growing public concern over govt interference some senior Tories have floated notions of a freedom charter suggesting the restoration of liberties from the scrapping of ID cards to overturning bans on fox hunting and smoking, etc.
Although such things may appeal to higher Tory notions of individual freedoms versus encroachment by the state it’s an idea that seems to have got lost amongst the daily round of point scoring, personality clashes and emergency policies barely seeing a week out before being replaced by the next emergency generated by our political class.
It’s plain to see that UK politics in particular is in a mess but a definite trajectory against public freedoms, democracy and material progress is well grounded throughout the government’s agenda
3)Challenging the ban in Yorkshire.
During particularly cold weather last year elderly smokers returned to the Painters’ Arms near freezing so licensees, the McHales, decided they prefered serving the interests of their customers rather than enforce a ridiculous law - that's the job of well paid council officers. On the numerous visits they’ve had the enforcement officers leave without conviction - they daren’t or can't charge customers directly. The last time, 2 officers came with a 6 strong police escort and again refused to make the charge themselves. They were deemed to be causing a nuisance and their police escort ended up removing them from the premises - all laughing, by the way.
This has been the situation for about a year now and has won a lot of favour amongst customers. Ray and Gill have been on ITV's tonight program and various radio shows talking of what they're doing.
In Wakefield on Sun 29th June a 60 strong group of pub regulars and others - smokers and non-smokers - held a demonstration to coincide with the smoking ban's anniversary. Wearing £1.50 T shirts with the slogan 'light up and be counted' we did a version of the Westgate run, managing to visit some 7 venues and enjoy a fag and a pint in each. This was very popular on the day and we were 'beeped' and cheered by cars and passersby and applauded in the pubs where we won the argument. A couple of asian taxi drivers joined in, shuttling us from pub to pub - the only fare being we had to smoke a fag in the taxi. They too have seen a drop in custom and are not allowed to smoke or accommodate smoking passengers, for now.
A couple of videos appeared on YouTube and it made the front pages of the Wakefield Express. The paper conducted a poll online and in the streets which showed around 90% support. Perhaps it was in the light of this underlying support that officials backed down from their original statement of examining the evidence and taking action.
Members of Skipton pubwatch sent a clear message to Gordon Brown by barring him from all their premises for what he’s done to trade and hospitality. Likewise, Alistair Darling was barred for his anti-pub budget from pubs up and down the country.
This is an excellent idea and we could do with barring all those MPs that voted for the ban and local govt functionaries, too.
In hand with that we offer a petition stating - “We, the public and electorate, are challenging such matters as the smoking ban and demanding the end and return of fines and compensation for loss of earnings and business”. Around 3000 pubs have closed since the ban, plus the knock on effect to suppliers and the community. By way of example, should each of those pubs claim £1million losses this would amount to 'just' £3 billion - which sounds a hell of a lot of money but amounts to 1/166th of monies used to bail out the banks - small beer and a much needed morale boost in these authority induced miserable times.
The country desperately needs a turnaround and our politicians need reminding who they should be serving.
4)
In pubs up and down the country, in Post Offices and at bus stops, letters pages, forums and internet groups the sentiment is the same - we’re sick of the nanny state - although they are much more like school prefects with their petty, ill considered and sneaky ways. With that in mind we really shouldn't be so timid when it comes to standing up against dubious and deceptive authority. We should consider ourselves a bit more important than the govt does and make it our duty to have these measures against us thoroughly broken. Otherwise, what's next?
There are various initiatives and ‘days of action’ afoot but, as yet, nothing to make a joined up and effective fightback. VIP nights aims to address that.
VIP nights are an initiative sparked off by Ray and Gill McHale of The Painters’ Arms, Drighlington.
One licensee in a pub may be vulnerable but with an average 150 ‘regulars’ - plus their friends and family - it becomes a different game entirely and the ball in our court. In this case the court of public opinion. And that is what they - thus far unaccountable authorities - fear the most.
VIP nights have the sole aim of repositioning the public at the centre of the discussion. At the end of the day it is the public - and electorate - that bears the result of the erosion of freedoms and by that measure it also falls to us to recognise our interests and fight back for them.
In that we are all VIPs.
****************************************************************************************************************Support Hamish Howitt.
Hamish Howitt from Blackpool was the first licensee to be taken to court for flouting smoking regulations. He’s put in plenty of time, money and effort challenging the ban and had numerous court cases. He appears in court again in London on Tues 2nd Dec and apart from well wishers has little in the way of solidarity.
Hamish’s customers regularly cough up money towards his fines but we need to move on from legal charges leveled against us and throw this back at those that lie to us and look down upon us
If plenty of pubs put up ’We support Hamish’ posters, perhaps had a whip around for him and took one or two other steps - eg set up VIP night - this could be well on its way by Christmas - and needs to be.
It's plain to see that pubs are having the life squeezed out of them - some 30 close every week and many of those left scrape a living. Others have had to reinvent themselves and most choke under more regulation.
The smoking ban has been the biggest setback but since given way to a host of other problems such as councils
taking pubs to court for people enjoying the banter in beer gardens - surely what pubs are for? Local authorities have become so petty and mean spirited that a group of London pensioners were moved on from their regular meet at some public benches - under noise regulations.
As with most things our so called representatives think they can take us for granted and in the case of the smoking ban are prepared to lie through the teeth to get their way.
It seems that this government’s interests lie in regulating us to death as they intrude in more areas of our lives - everywhere from the workplace, to what should be open, public life and even into our homes. Politics these days is less about the best way forward for society and
individuals, now turned inwards and more about restraint. They claim to represent our
interests when clearly they don’t.
It’s not all bad though as there are the beginnings of a fightback. In Europe German, Danish and Swiss licensees have won concessions, some regions have far more liberal laws and bars in the Netherlands have started clubbing together to demonstrate.
The Painters’ Arms, Drighlington and a demonstration based on the Westgate run,
Wakefield, are a couple of examples in West Yorkshire where the ban has been publicly challenged and wary authorities backed down.
Maverick landlord Stuart Smith from Halifax jumped through hoops trying to find a loophole. Others have mounted direct legal challenges with a London club even hiring
Cherie Blair (liberty eh, Cherie?). Hamish Howitt in Blackpool challenged the ban by rebuilding his smoke room and running himself ragged standing in elections (for his sins he’s in court Tuesday 2nd December).
Many others have after hours smoke-ins - some get away with it, some don’t. Given the smoking ban and the thinking behind it is deeply unpopular it’s surprising the level of compliance - or that we hide what were until recently quite normal and acceptable activities. There is a clear groundswell of opinion against what the govt is doing yet too often it’s said ‘there’s nothing we can do’, we `moan amongst ourselves and put up with it.
There’s plenty that can be done and the first thing to accept is that politicians are just people, in this case people with bad ideas. It’s likely that Gordon Brown’s £500 billion bankjob is merely throwing more of our money down the hole as there is no change of direction in their outlook. It may provide them with some desperately needed legitimacy - might even get them through Christmas - but, in effect it’s us that will pay for it should we let them carry on as they are.
Should we let them. There are still the remnants of democracy and now while our representatives are in panic it’s time to influence the process in our favour.
2)
There is of course no 'right' to be drunk or to smoke anywhere and everywhere we please. Not that we'd want to. Through the course of our lives these become matters we're usually grown up about enough to determine ourselves. Despite an ever growing list of regulations we tend to negotiate things better informally, that is, as free willing adults amongst others. As for smoking then the simplest solution is to have smoke rooms back or choice of venue but the authorities aren’t interested in reasoned choice, instead wanting to directly shape the habits of people into something they consider appropriate.
New Labour have introduced over 3000 new laws - one for every day they've been in power. They've carped on relentlessly, criticised and effectively criminalised normal behaviour. We're sleepwalking into a society where we're continuously watched, personal details filed - ours, not theirs - and often lost. We’re told what to eat, where from and reprimanded for taking foreign holidays, personal transport is becoming a sin, putting the bin out on the wrong day can get you fined and even what we talk about is becoming regulated. Perhaps such measures would be tolerable if it was the case that the country and economy are going to ruin through the actions of us ‘feckless oiks’ but this is much more about their lack of direction, abandoning faith in the public and anything resembling a political project. Instead of any confident forward looking program political parties now preach control and us being happy with a reduced lot.
It would be a farce if it wasn’t the case these people were supposed to be in control yet they’ve had a hand in messing up everything - the economy, pensions, housing market, education, ‘ventures overseas’. Everything.
Yet Brown struts about all man-of-the-hour like, he seemingly fitting these troubled economic times. Given that it was the govt’s lack of leadership, constant talks about talks (that keep them in well paid jobs) and constantly berating the masses for desiring higher living standards then this is rich indeed and good reason for not being too excited by Brown’s bank bailout or assurances to help us all through the hard times ahead.
As Einstein said, you don’t fix a problem with the same level of thinking that caused it.
The opposition?
The government is somewhat let off the hook by the opposition swallowing the same message about restraint - from the ‘need’ to accommodate to the environment down to increasing law and order to keep us in line as per usual.
Briefly, and quite honourably, David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden (near Hull) sought to make a case for liberty yet this ultimately on quite narrow grounds - and steered clear of by his party leadership. Perhaps latching on to growing public concern over govt interference some senior Tories have floated notions of a freedom charter suggesting the restoration of liberties from the scrapping of ID cards to overturning bans on fox hunting and smoking, etc.
Although such things may appeal to higher Tory notions of individual freedoms versus encroachment by the state it’s an idea that seems to have got lost amongst the daily round of point scoring, personality clashes and emergency policies barely seeing a week out before being replaced by the next emergency generated by our political class.
It’s plain to see that UK politics in particular is in a mess but a definite trajectory against public freedoms, democracy and material progress is well grounded throughout the government’s agenda
3)Challenging the ban in Yorkshire.
During particularly cold weather last year elderly smokers returned to the Painters’ Arms near freezing so licensees, the McHales, decided they prefered serving the interests of their customers rather than enforce a ridiculous law - that's the job of well paid council officers. On the numerous visits they’ve had the enforcement officers leave without conviction - they daren’t or can't charge customers directly. The last time, 2 officers came with a 6 strong police escort and again refused to make the charge themselves. They were deemed to be causing a nuisance and their police escort ended up removing them from the premises - all laughing, by the way.
This has been the situation for about a year now and has won a lot of favour amongst customers. Ray and Gill have been on ITV's tonight program and various radio shows talking of what they're doing.
In Wakefield on Sun 29th June a 60 strong group of pub regulars and others - smokers and non-smokers - held a demonstration to coincide with the smoking ban's anniversary. Wearing £1.50 T shirts with the slogan 'light up and be counted' we did a version of the Westgate run, managing to visit some 7 venues and enjoy a fag and a pint in each. This was very popular on the day and we were 'beeped' and cheered by cars and passersby and applauded in the pubs where we won the argument. A couple of asian taxi drivers joined in, shuttling us from pub to pub - the only fare being we had to smoke a fag in the taxi. They too have seen a drop in custom and are not allowed to smoke or accommodate smoking passengers, for now.
A couple of videos appeared on YouTube and it made the front pages of the Wakefield Express. The paper conducted a poll online and in the streets which showed around 90% support. Perhaps it was in the light of this underlying support that officials backed down from their original statement of examining the evidence and taking action.
Members of Skipton pubwatch sent a clear message to Gordon Brown by barring him from all their premises for what he’s done to trade and hospitality. Likewise, Alistair Darling was barred for his anti-pub budget from pubs up and down the country.
This is an excellent idea and we could do with barring all those MPs that voted for the ban and local govt functionaries, too.
In hand with that we offer a petition stating - “We, the public and electorate, are challenging such matters as the smoking ban and demanding the end and return of fines and compensation for loss of earnings and business”. Around 3000 pubs have closed since the ban, plus the knock on effect to suppliers and the community. By way of example, should each of those pubs claim £1million losses this would amount to 'just' £3 billion - which sounds a hell of a lot of money but amounts to 1/166th of monies used to bail out the banks - small beer and a much needed morale boost in these authority induced miserable times.
The country desperately needs a turnaround and our politicians need reminding who they should be serving.
4)
In pubs up and down the country, in Post Offices and at bus stops, letters pages, forums and internet groups the sentiment is the same - we’re sick of the nanny state - although they are much more like school prefects with their petty, ill considered and sneaky ways. With that in mind we really shouldn't be so timid when it comes to standing up against dubious and deceptive authority. We should consider ourselves a bit more important than the govt does and make it our duty to have these measures against us thoroughly broken. Otherwise, what's next?
There are various initiatives and ‘days of action’ afoot but, as yet, nothing to make a joined up and effective fightback. VIP nights aims to address that.
VIP nights are an initiative sparked off by Ray and Gill McHale of The Painters’ Arms, Drighlington.
One licensee in a pub may be vulnerable but with an average 150 ‘regulars’ - plus their friends and family - it becomes a different game entirely and the ball in our court. In this case the court of public opinion. And that is what they - thus far unaccountable authorities - fear the most.
VIP nights have the sole aim of repositioning the public at the centre of the discussion. At the end of the day it is the public - and electorate - that bears the result of the erosion of freedoms and by that measure it also falls to us to recognise our interests and fight back for them.
In that we are all VIPs.
****************************************************************************************************************Support Hamish Howitt.
Hamish Howitt from Blackpool was the first licensee to be taken to court for flouting smoking regulations. He’s put in plenty of time, money and effort challenging the ban and had numerous court cases. He appears in court again in London on Tues 2nd Dec and apart from well wishers has little in the way of solidarity.
Hamish’s customers regularly cough up money towards his fines but we need to move on from legal charges leveled against us and throw this back at those that lie to us and look down upon us
If plenty of pubs put up ’We support Hamish’ posters, perhaps had a whip around for him and took one or two other steps - eg set up VIP night - this could be well on its way by Christmas - and needs to be.
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