In the past nine months four pubs in Selkirk, my home town, have closed. It would be simplistic to presume that the liberty-quashing smoking ban was the sole cause of this regrettable trend; it would be idiotic to suppose it didn’t play a part.
Still, that’s only one part of legislators’ attempts to run publicans out of town. Consider this latest wheeze, for instance, as told by the Southern Reporter:
Pub licensees, who currently pay £172 for a three-year licence to sell alcohol, will have to fork out up to £1,600 just to register their premises under the new [licensing] system. An annual fee on top of that has yet to be worked out. Registration also involves all applicants, old and new, commissioning and presenting detailed drawings of their outlets to ensure they comply with fire and health and safety regulations. Such plans must also highlight seating arrangements and areas suitable for children.
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