Celebrating Our Region's Beers... And Standing Up For The Local Pub

After a good morning’s canvassing around Chester-le-Street, we headed for the welcoming environs of the Chester-le-Street Beer Festival in the Cricket Club, as the heavens began to open outside. It was a brilliantly organised event and an excellent showcase for beer brewed in North Durham (Beamish) and around the region (Consett and Wylam to name but two of the breweries represented. Hats off to the organisers – the room was packed with a wide variety of people (including somebody who seemed genuinely surprised that I had read and appreciated ‘In Place Of Fear’ by Nye Bevan). All in all, a great success and one that will hopefully be repeated next year.

However, there was a more serious sub-text to the occasion that needs to be addressed. Firstly, there was the shadow that one of the region’s most famous drinks is under threat of having its beer production moved from our region. I have said before, and I will say again, for the sake of jobs, the heritage of the drink, and the future credibility and success of the ‘dog’, Newcastle Brown Ale MUST continue to be brewed in the North East, where it belongs.

The second shadow hanging over the event was the continuing difficulties being faced by pubs in our area and nationwide. 40 pubs are closing every week, including all too many in the North Durham area, with hugely damaging consequences for the communities that they serve. Around a third of every pint we buy now goes to the Government in tax and the ‘beer tie’ continues to bind the hands of pubs and landlords around the area. The Government has repeatedly raised beer tax, punishing hard working people who enjoy a pint, and, only last Friday, turned down the idea even of an independent inquiry into the beer tie.

Sadly, the Government is driven by a stern faced Puritanism, which is damaging pubs and Working Men’s Clubs throughout the area. We need to fight to safeguard the future of our region’s brewing tradition, local pubs and Working Man’s Club movement. It is quite clear that Labour are not going to stand up for the working man who liked the odd tipple after work. I most certainly will be standing up for local pubs, local brewing, local Working Men’s Clubs and the continuance of Newcastle Brown Ale in the North East.