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Public House

by | 16th, November 2005

‘TONY Blair might be drinking in the last chance saloon, but he’s not supping alone.

Last orders?

Yesterday, Tony led the Government to victory in the Commons. The Tory-led attempt to block a move towards 24-hour pub opening was defeated by 302 votes to 228. That a win – even if two former ministers, Frank Field and Kate Hoey, voted against the Government.

There’s a caricature of Tony celebrating his win in the Times. Tony’s madly grinning face is seen on a sign for a pub called “The FIRKIN TOSSER”.

While throwing away a can with “CRACKDOWN ON BINGERS” written down the side, Tony’s draining a glass labelled “24 HOUR OPENING”.

Another Labour rebellion has been averted, and from next Thursday drinkers can spend all day and night in the boozer.

Although not all pubs. Drinkers at the famous Red Lion public house, Westminster will be thrown out at the usual time.

For those of you not in the know, the Red Lion is on Parliament Street, barely a projectial vomit from the polished doors of No. 10 Downing Street.

And it will not be open round the clock. It won’t even be open all that late. As the Telegraph says, the pub frequented by politicians, civil servants and journalists has been denied permission to open as late as 2am on some week nights.

Westminster city council and the Metropolitan police are concerned that drinkers and tourists spilling out onto the street in the small hours will create a nuisance for local residents.

And those residents would be… Yep, you guessed it: Tony and the Blairios and gulping Gordon Brown. More Sipping Street than Downing Street.

As Theresa May, the shadow culture spokesman says: “The news that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown will be able to get a good night’s sleep is of no comfort to the local residents on the receiving end of Labour’s yob culture.”

She goes on: “These laws threaten an explosion in public nuisance and violent crime across the country – but not for Labour ministers who don’t want it in their backyard.”

But while the Tories score points, and the Telegraph snipes, the Times hears from Raoul Devaux, the husband of the pub’s licensee.

“The people who come here are civil servants and MPs,” says he. “They’re not the sort who want to carry on drinking until 2am or 3am. We’d end up getting all the drunks from Leicester Square coming here and who wants to deal with that?”

Indeed. Tony has had enough trouble with that ugly mob. Just ask Euan..?’



Posted: 16th, November 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink