17/05/09 - Love your Local

After visiting a number of pubs in East Cleveland Paul Bristow, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland, and the South Tees Conservatives have launched a new campaign called ''love your local".

The campaign asks people to visit their local pubs or risk losing them.

According to the Independent Newspaper, 36 pubs a week close as fewer people are choosing visit their local. This trend is being replicated in East Cleveland with a number of pubs no longer open such as the Buck in Guisborough, and the Miners Arms in Skelton Green.

Local landlord and organisations such as the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have put the drop in custom down to high levels of tax on beer and the fact supermarkets often sell alcohol as a loss leader meaning pubs cannot compete. At the recent budget the tax on beer increased by a further 2%.

Speaking about the local campaign meeting with local landlady Jill Henderson at the Fox Inn, Guisborough, Paul said:

"We want to do our bit to help struggling local pubs and clubs. Ceaseless tax increases on beer has meant pubs have been losing out to supermarkets and some locals have been forced to close.

"A pub is so much more than a business. Often it is the heart of a local community like a shop or post office. Once it has gone, it is usually gone forever.

"We are urging people to stop complaining about losing pubs and to start visiting them. If you want to keep your local pub you have to use it.''

To support our campaign please sign our petition here: http://www.paulbristow.org.uk/page/7/