Davis: Suspend new licensing laws
The shadow home secretary and leadership hopeful David Davis has called on the government to suspend proposed changes to the licensing laws until the problems associated with binge drinking are brought under control.
Mr Davis said he was in no doubt that the liberalisation of licensing laws would make the problems associated with alcohol “much, much worse”.
The laws come into effect in November, allowing for longer opening hours for pubs, bars and restaurants.
But Mr Davis said the law had to be suspended until social problems like binge drinking were brought under control.
Speaking on Today he gave the example of an “experiment” the government undertook in 1999, when there was a relaxation in the requirement for pubs to take up licenses.
He said that experiment led to an increase in levels of violence and disruption and the creation of ‘family no-go zones’. And the new laws would allow bars and pub to stay open even longer than in 1999.
He concluded that the government must “stop this law, full stop”.
And he noted that since the law did not come into effect until November, there was “no reason” why it could not be suspended until a “number of things have happened”.
Mr Davis’s comments come as his leadership rival David Cameron has become embroiled in a row over his role as director of a bar company.
Mr Cameron denied reports that he would resign from his position as director of Urbium, a late-night bar business, after a dispute developed between that company and Westminster council over trading hours.
A source close to the Cameron camp told politics.co.uk that reports of his resignation were misleading. Mr Cameron simply indicated he would leave the company if a takeover bid was successful – thus making his position redundant, he said
The same source described Urbium as a “responsible” trading company.
