I'll make this short. The Freedom2Choose survey of 570 licensees in England shows overwhelming approval for changes in the law. This has reached the trade press here and here. The survey, based on interviews with licensees, shows that they catered in the main for a clientèle including at least as many smokers as non-smokers, and many had enough rooms on their premises to cater for both groups separately if needed.
Justice for Licensees, which has focussed its campaign on the beer tie, has issued a press release (reproduced here by Phil Johnson, Chairman of Freedom2Choose) lending support to the Early Day Motion (EDM 406). Its leader Inez Ward is also interviewed in the Morning Advertiser, urging her members to ask their MPs to support the call for a review to the smoking ban. Another ten-minute rule motion on reviewing the smoking ban is to be heard on Wednesday 13 October, lodged by David Nuttall MP: reported here (includes a poll which currently shows 83 per cent in favour of publicans choosing whether to cater for smokers).
I can only follow Inez and Phil and encourage you to urge your MP to support the demand for a review of this ill conceived legislation.
1 comment:
Another paper has reported: http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/8437459.Let_pubs_decide_if_they_want_to_allow_smoking/?
Also, the comments in the Morning Advertiser are entertaining. Includes a comment from Paul Naylor of Unite Union on p. 1.
Post a Comment