Fuck you and the business model you rode in on.

Aww, diddums. Did some of your Monopoly money go bye-bye? Don't cry about it, there's a good lad.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30110742

Indeed. Tough all over, innit?

If they don't like it, they can fuck off. Personally, I'd rather see Enterprise Inns, Punch Taverns and Greene King go to the wall than the pubs they run into the ground so that they can sell them to developers.

Don't see why it's going to result in pub closures and job losses either. Is your business going to collapse if you reduce your landlords' rents to a fair market price? Are you not going to be able to sell any of your pissweak, pisspoor, pissy-tasting beer to anyone if they can buy beer off anyone else at a fair market price? Are your prices not competitive? then you better make them competitive. That's capitalism for you, buddy. If you don't like it, see how well your pubco will flourish in Korea.

Don't see why the pubs will close. Your pubco might struggle, but no-one will cry over that. Then, with a bit of luck, the pubs will be able to change to free houses and buy nice beers from all over. In Cambridge, they can't miss. More nice pubs, more nice beer and fewer landlords struggling and taking any old shit to stay in business.

Have to say this is a win for those on the side of the angels.

Having said which, what a fucking time for the Lib Dems to discover their backbones and their Lib Dem principles. They didn't do it for the Health and Social Care Act, the lowering of the top rate of tax, the Bedroom Tax, Student Fees or any of the other low-down dirty shite this government has dumped on people with their acquiescence. Useless pricks.

It's interesting that this was a Labour opposition motion that the Lib Dems opposed earlier in the year. They have almost taken the entire Labour policy on this and claimed it as their own. Election looming anyone?

Noodles - I think you'll find that the Lib Dems are tied by the coalition agreement which means that they have to vote (except for the few backbenchers who rebel) with the Tories on certain issues (like Health, tax, fees and so on). This agreement stopped the Coalition collapsing in the first week. It's not so much that the Lib Dems were useless pricks and didn't have a backbone, it's more that they were stupid enough to get into bed with the Tories in the first place.

It seems that this vote wasn't covered by the coalition agreement so in this case they could vote how they wanted.

Don't see why it's going to result in pub closures and job losses either.

Because now the pubcos can accelerate their programme of shutting down pubs and selling the land to developers, safe in the knowledge that they can blame the rise on Parliament?

Indeed.

Also "This agreement stopped the Coalition collapsing in the first week", you say that as if it is a good thing. Though I take your point.

That's one of the biggest problems with the current party political system, with members whipped to vote with the party line or occasionally allowed to make "a principled stand" and abstain or vote against if it won't affect the result and they need to look good for their constituents.

Ah well. I should try and concentrate on the small good thing of that one tiny victory, but it does still seem a bit hollow with all the otehr stuff that has happened.