Ah, the true meaning of Christmas: an excellent chance for some photo opportunities. And while the Tory tech bros of No. 10 have been goofing around for their Home Alone remake, Labour kept it simple. Sir Keir posted a picture of himself and his wife enjoying, in his words, a ‘traditional Christmas drink with neighbours in the local’ – every inch the normal beer-drinking bloke. Get out the sandwiches and he’ll be ready for the unions in No. 10…
Yet Mr S wonders for how much longer Sir Keir’s local is going to survive under the ever-blundering regime of Sadiq Khan’s City Hall? As every Westminster obsessive knows, Starmer’s favourite pub is The Pineapple in Kentish Town – a site ‘woven into the fabric of the community since it was built in 1868.’ Yet now the battle-class boozer is struggling to survive: all thanks to the incompetence of Transport for London, responsibility for which sits with the capital’s Mayor.
For Kentish Town station has been shut since June and is set to remain out of action until at least summer 2024, all to fix two escalators and carry out ‘wider work’ on the station. Sadly, the effect on local business has proved to be catastrophic. The Lady Hamilton pub, located just a two-minute walk from the station, closed down permanently in August, with owner Paul Davies telling the Camden New Journal that:
There was no real warning and it has just wiped out the trade – and it has hit The Pineapple too. The High Street has been killed: we are not the only ones. We were hoping to soldier on, but we just could not with the Tube closing.
As well as the closure of the Lady Hamilton, managers have also seen sales at The Pineapple – which is five minutes away from the station – suffer from a lack of Underground access. Steerpike trusts Sir Keir enjoyed his festive pint but let’s just hope that it’s not a Last Christmas for the pub….
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