Posts tagged Home Office

There is a lot of pre-election hot air today around the subject of alcohol and licensing law reform. I’m broadly in favour of Alan Johnson’s proposals, but still don’t really think any party is getting this right.

I was an enthusiastic proponent of licensing law reform and 24 hour opening, even organising a conference ‘Time called on last orders’ to help successfully lobby in favour of the new legislation. I see it as one of Labour’s many achievements in government. So what went wrong? Well nothing much in my back.

The problem as I see it isn’t the pubs, clubs or supermarkets. It is the irresponsibility of a minority of people (not all of them young, so let’s not demonise the wrong people.) What Alan Johnson and the Home Office should be focusing on as far more draconian sanctions against the minority of people who are responsible for drunken behaviour on our streets. If they can afford to get drunk, they can afford to pay big fines.

I propose a zero tolerance approach to drunkenness and rowdiness on the streets. Two sanctions should be introduced 1) On the spot fines 2) Compulsory alcohol education programmes after the first offences (none of this three strikes and your out nonsense.)

The alcohol education programmes would be at zero cost to the taxpayer as attendees would foot the entire cost of the programme themselves. The set-up costs could be levied with a voluntary/compulsory charge on alcohol producers and vendors, but allowing them to recoup the costs from the attendees.

I’d also like to see some sort of reform to the licensing law to force most venues to introduce an at seat service. This would have numerous benefits including slowing down the speed at which people can drink, increasing the cost but also crucially doing so by increasing the number of people employed thus helping to tackle unemployment. Venues that don’t do this would have licenses refused or restricted.

Together these two proposals would go a good way to reclaim the streets for the vast majority who want to sensibly enjoy the night-time economy and achieve the European cafe culture that Britain needs.