Whaddya know, that fascist rag the Daily Express printed my letter (below)


Dear Sir
Licensing Reform

The effect of the proposed reform of licensing law on drinking behaviour is one thing. Its effect on music, and noise suffered by neighbours from pub music is quite another.

The proposed "reforms" will do nothing to help control amplified noise – from live bands, from discos, from juke-boxes, or from giant TVs whether they are showing football or playing music. Yet at the same time they will require full licensing for even one acoustic guitarist, (or morris dancing in the car-park). The government says that it does not accept that any type of music, even unamplified folk music, is never a noise or disturbance problem.

This is the politics of the madhouse. It proposes, in both respects, precisely the opposite of what is needed. Even if (as the government has admitted) it hates folk music, it is Alice through the Looking Glass for the Ministry of Culture to help stamp out our cultural heritage.

Even if the Prime Minister is a lawyer, married to a lawyer, surely he can see that it is next to useless to provide that the landlord's only remedy against a local authority imposing ridiculous conditions on the very licence that enables that landlord to earn a living is to start a court action.

Yours faithfully



Richard McD. Bridge