Pub landlord Jason Hughes kicked off the campaign just after the budget came out raising taxes on alcohol. He placed a a spoof poster in the window of his Utopia Bar in Darling’s hometown of Edinburgh, barring the officially titled chancellor of the exchequer from the premises.
The sentiment has spiralled into a campaign that has seen the poster placed in pubs across Britain, an organised group to promote the cause and a group on social networking Web site Facebook called “Alistair Darling You’re Barred”.
The group has already attracted over a thousand members and caught the attention of opposition Conservative party leader David Cameron, who mentioned it in parliament.
“Every time you fill up the car, taxes have gone up; every time you buy a car, taxes have gone up, every time the family goes shopping and so on,” Cameron said. “No wonder every pub in Britain is trying to ban the Chancellor from having a pint.”
Darling raised duty on beer, wine and spirits at his budget debut and said that alcohol duty would continue to rise at two percent above inflation over the next four years.
A survey taken early this year by British consumer group, Campaign for Real Ale, showed that as many as 57 British pubs close every month.
Do you feel like barring one of our ministers from your establishment?