Darling — you're banned!

March 27, 2008: Talk about being unpopular — a campaign to have Chancellor Alastair Darling banned from every pub in the country is gathering pace.

The move is being heavily promoted by the Morning Advertiser, which is offering publicans a kit to make sure the Chancellor gets the message that he is not welcome should he try to buy a round in their pub.

There is even a 'Alastair Darling — You're Banned' Facebook group.

The Sun newspaper reported: "Two hundred [pubs]have put up posters warning the Chancellor to keep out since he slapped 4p on a pint in this month’s Budget.

"The rapidly-spreading protest — which even includes a Brussels watering hole popular with MEPs — comes as it was revealed a UK pub shuts every six hours."

During Prime Minister's question time in the House of Commons this week, Conservative leader David Cameron said: "Every time you fill up the car, taxes have gone up; every time you buy a car, taxes have gone up; every time the family goes shopping, and so on. No wonder every pub in Britain is trying to ban the Chancellor from having a pint."