Mail responds to trade press criticism

September 22, 2005: Trade paper The Publican is refusing to let up on its campaign against the Daily Mail's 'Say No To 24-Hour Pubs Campaign', although the national newspaper has said that it will look again at aspects of the coverage.

A spokesman for the Mail said the paper was against 24-hour drinking, rather than 24-hour pub opening, and conceded that it might have to rethink the title of its campaign.

The pub trade media has been targeting the national press - in particular the Daily Mail - in a campaign to redress the balance of licensing hours coverage.

The Publican and the Morning Advertiser - the industry's two major weekly publications - have each blamed the Mail for slanted coverage which has misinterpreted the aims of the 2003 Licensing Act, which will, among other measures, introduce the opportunity for licensees to apply for longer opening hours.

The Morning Advertiser has launched a 'Lay Off My Local' campaign to accentuate the positive attractions of Britain's pubs and convey the message that they are not dens of iniquity full of round-the-clock drunkards intent on starting fights up and down the streets of Britain.

In a front-page editorial it says: "In countless towns, suburbs and villages the pub is the absolute hub of the community, where people meet to socialise. It is often where community spirit begins and grows. It is impossible to imagine life in Britain without the pub."

Inside, editor Andrew Pring adds: "Promoting the integrity of our individual licensees is the best image campaign we could possibly have. It's up to each and everyone running a pub to restore that place in the heart of the community."

The Publican takes a specific stand against the Daily Mail and urges its readers to boycott the publication.

It asks: "So what exactly has been wrong with the Mail's coverage? Well, even the campaign's name, Say No to 24-Hour Pubs, is misleading. According to figures from the British Beer & Pubs Association (BBPA) the majority - around 90 per cent - are only applying to stay open for an extra hour or two at the weekend.

"And this is just to give them the option of opening for these hours, when it is economically viable. In reality, only a handful of pubs across the country have applied for 24-hour licences."