{Waves To Nick Clegg}

Interesting news from the hospitality industry.

The number of bar and pub firms going out of business in the first three months of the year was more than double the number in the same period last year, [...]

Wow! That's nasty stuff. Especially considering the escalating devastation the industry has already been suffering since ... ooh, about 2007?

Here's another quick reminder of pub closure figures.

UK Pub Closures 2004-2009

Or ...

2004: 478
2005: 102
2006: 216
2007: 1,409
2008: 1,973
2009: 2,365

The Graun piece goes on to say.

The position of many pubs and clubs is generally accepted to have been made worse by the smoking ban and a losing battle for sales with supermarkets.

Now, I don't know about you, Nick Clegg, but I reckon an amendment to the smoking ban is a cost-free measure which could dramatically boost the fortunes of a hefty proportion of the pub and club economy. Whaddya think?

And, oh look, you have a Great Repeal Bill on the go which it could be tacked onto.

How very convenient.

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