End smoking ban to save our pubs: UKIP

Paul Nuttall: "Pubs are at the hub of our culture and communities and they are being driven into oblivion"

New figures showing that pubs are closing at the rate of 52 a week have been greeted with anger by the UK Independence Party.

Local Euro-MP and the party’s chairman, Paul Nuttall, is blaming the smoking ban and says landlords should be free to allow customers to light up.

He said: “Pubs are at the hub of our culture and communities and they are being driven into oblivion by a plethora of restrictive rules and increased beer taxes.

“These rules include the draconian smoking ban, which we know from our nationwide ‘Save the Pub’ campaign, has been a major factor in pub closures.

“Licensees should have the freedom to choose whether to allow smoking on their premises and beer taxes should be cut. If it was not bad enough already the EU now wants to ban smoking in beer gardens.

“The rate of closure is accelerating and represents the steepest rate of decline since records began in 1990.

“The figures have risen by a third compared with the same period last year, when 36 pubs were closing every week.

“What is happening is a tragedy for the British way of life. Research for the British Beer and Pub Association shows that local pubs serving small communities have been the worst hit.

“Many of these are communities that are already struggling with post office closures and inadequate public transport. The social implications are enormous and a structured way of life, with its inherent checks and balances, is being eroded, probably for ever.

“Nowadays it is commonplace for young people to get drunk on cheap alcohol at home and then go out and behave disgracefully.

“It is vital the Government takes urgent action to help the pub trade, so helping local communities.

“And there are grave concerns about the attitude and behaviour of some pub companies whose actions are aggravating the situation.”