Punch Taverns gives chancellor knockout blow

Punch Taverns, The UK’s largest pub group, is refreshingly optimistic about the near and long-term future for the trade.

However in its half year results last week the company pulled, well, no punches when it came to Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling.

Attacking the chancellor’s decision to hike alcohol duty in the Budget, the company said it was “disappointed” by events and, reading between the lines, felt it a kick in the teeth given the industry’s efforts to lobby the Government.

Punch has signed up to the Morning Advertiser's campaign to bar Darling from UK pubs until he sees sense and Nigel Turpin, corporate affairs director at the pub company, revealed they may have even more impact than most.

It turns out the chancellor's local, literally down the road from 11 Downing Street, is the Punch owned Red Lion.

Turpin, who described Darling’s tax increases as unjustified, said while his staff were ready to give Darling a frosty welcome if he dared to stick his head in, it hadn’t got to the stage of having a “barred” photo of the chancellor hanging behind the bar just yet.

Well, with eyebrows like Darling’s there’s no need to raise the stakes to a hair-raising level, we presume.

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