Campaigning
As a branch we are keen to support both national and local
campaigns.
Save the Pub!
Several of our members emailed their MPs to persuade them to participate in the debate on this on
Thursday 12th January 2012. After a three hour debate the motion on pub company reform was unanimously passed.
CAMRA provides pre-written emails to MPs for motions such as this so it takes a matter of minutes
to get involved and back campaigns so keep an eye out for these in the future.
There is further information on this campaign on the
CAMRA website.
Protection of Local Services
CAMRA is urging you to write to your MP
asking them support the
CAMRA backed Protection of Local Services (Planning) Bill (England).
Consumers v.OFT Pub Market Ruling
As reported in the Winter 2009-10 Iron Brew, CAMRA has criticised the Office of
Fair Trading (OFT) for failing to
protect consumers by taking no
action following the consumer
group's super-complaint submitted
earlier this year, and has called on
the Government to refer unfair tie
arrangements in the pub sector to
the Competition Commission.
CAMRA is appealing for donations to take OFT to a tribunal and to support the cause
click here.
Axe The Tax
The Chancellor's decision to go ahead with beer tax rises is the signing of a death warrant for thousands more pubs
across Britain - and a slap in the face to the tens of thousands of Axe the Beer Tax campaign supporters,
including more than 200 MPs, publicans, the brewing industry, pubgoers and the general public.
Click here to lobby your local MP once more to reverse this decision.
Sustainable Communities Act
As discussed at branch meetings the Sustainable Communities Act provides a channel for local people
to drive Central Government assistance and action to improve the economic, social and
environmental well being of their area. This means that local people can use the Act to
promote community pubs and the availability of local beers.
Further details including a sample letter to send to your local council can be found on the
CAMRA website.
It has also been advised to ask in such a letter if your local council DOES NOT choose
to opt in then to explain why not.
Mild In May
In May CAMRA supports the promotion of mild and the branch will
once more celebrate this with a
mild social at the Malt Shovel in Ashby. Licensee Simon Hall will put
on three guest milds.
Members enjoying last year's national Mild day at the Malt shovel.
BARRED
Hundreds of drinkers are backing an internet
campaign to get Alastair Darling banned from
every pub in Britain. They even want Al
Murray, the comedian famous as The Pub
Landlord, to front up the protest.
Organisers are angered that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer increased duty in his Budget.
In the Budget, Mr. Darling slapped 4p a pint
on beer and 14p on a bottle of wine. In
addition spirits duty, including whisky, went
up by 55p a bottle and cider duty by 3p a
litre. Alcohol duty would also go up by 2 per
cent above inflation in each of the next four
years.
The Utopia bar in Edinburgh started
the campaign by putting up a poster in its
window banning Mr Darling, the MP for
Edinburgh South, from its premises. The poster says: "Barred. We hereby give
notice that Alastair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, is barred from this
pub until further notice."
A protest was also held at the great British beer Festival in Earl's Court in August.
|
