Pub chain angry at budget duty hikes
Wednesday 28th October 2009, 2:56PM GMT.
David Le Quesne
DUTY increases on alcohol and tobacco show that the Treasury Minister ‘is on another planet’, according to the head of pub firm Randalls.
Managing director David Le Quesne says that the proposals for a 6.2% increase in alcohol duty, as well as almost 10% rises in fuel and tobacco duty, will pile the pressure on traders. Mr Le Quesne reaction to the hikes was: ‘Is this guy on this planet or what?’
Randalls run 58 pubs and licensed premises in Jersey and employ around 750 Islanders. Mr Le Quesne said: ‘Is he aware that we have got little or no tourists?
‘This is not going to help anybody. Manual workers at the moment are complaining about there being no pay increase this year, and he pushes up the price of a working man’s pint, fuel and tobacco, which quite a few people do enjoy even if they are supposed to be bad for you.
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That is a very true comment, The States members are all on another planet and they’re sick in the head! See what happens when states spending goes out of control! they charge us for their mess ups, trips to far away countries and stupid ideas! and then they give us the most pathetic excuses as to why prices should go up. I think we should all go to france every other week! To get your smokes and booze and food, If you smoke 20 to 40 cigarettes a day and have a bottle of wine between two people in a night, it works out cheaper to go on condor get your legal amount of duty free and a few bits and pieces on the boat and in france than buy over here. I am and there’s nothing they can do about it! Sod the States members, they should be paying for the mess there finances are in. They spent the money because it was there and now it’s not. They couldn’t run a p@!$ up in a brewery!
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even if they’re supposed to be bad for you?
they are bad for you – end of -
i suggest giving up now because it’s just going to go higher and higher… they should just legalise cannabis and put a tax on that – we’ll get tourists in AND get more revenue on tax… they should just make it illegal to grow it or sell it without a licence – i mean i’d rather live on an island full of stoners than an island full of violent drunks!
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Close all the pubs and turn them into alms houses for the poor, no one can afford to eat out or go for a drink anyway!!!
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I think Mr Le Quesne needs to look at his over-inflated prices in the 1st place. How a pub chain with 58 premises can charge £3.90 for a Magners & £3.60 for a Guinness is daylight robbery… Perhaps he should charge the customers a “good value” pint (try Wetherspoons in UK !!) then the increase in duty would be ok!
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So David le Quesne is appalled at the proposed increases in duty, is he?
Tough.
Why should vested interests seek exemption from proposals that might – just might – help balance the States’ budget?
The acronym NIMBY springs to mind.
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Easy pickings-the usual suspects go up every year.
no let up.
Where would they get their precious tax from if all smokers and drinkers stopped?
The nanny state sorry control state have all but killed off any social interaction with their spin and lies,no wonder suicide rates have gone up.
people need to interact with others,if they can,t afford to its a downward spiral with nothing left to look forward to.
Next on the list is a fat tax(for our own good)of course.
Well i would tell the control state to mind their own bussiness and get a life.
Why should they tell us what we should or should,nt do.
It reminds me of NAZI germany(Your body belongs to the government)
They won,t be happy until all the pubs are closed and the working class will have nowhere to socialise
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Don’t the brewereies always moan about the increase in duty each year, and a few weeks later add an additional 10p or 20P to their prices?
Duty, GST and corporation tax are all lower than the equivalent taxes in the UK and business property taxes (Rates) are about 1/20th the UK level, but beer is much higher, so who is making all the money?
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If only we could convince the entire smoking and drinking population of Jersey to give up for a year, perhaps the States would be forced into budgeting correctly and stop ripping us off constantly.
I don’t smoke, I do drink; I know they’re bad for me but it’s not going to suddenly prevent me doing so – it’s one of the few pleasures we get over here anymore – so I think that argument is irrelevant. The States increase taxes on them because they know it’s the easiest way of filling in the gaps the leave when they waste money on useless roadworks and architectural surveys; I’d go as far as saying encouraging good health was last on their list of reasons when they discussed taxing us even more, if it were at all.
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Just a thought but in a related story Lufthansa has been hit with a £25,000 fine by the JCRA, 27 more fines like this and we wouldn’t need to increase the duty on alcohol!
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Jersey should invite open competition in the pub trade instead of the Randalls owning most pubs.Like no 4, lets get a Wetherspoons open here and watch the Randalls over-priced pubs put more realist pricing policy.If you go to the UK try one, you get a pint of real ale @ £1.99 ! Tax rises on drinks would then be ok.Tobacco taxes should be raised, maybe that would save a few lives and stop all the pavements being taken over by smokers. The motorist should be left alone, but then we can always walk and then how much tax will that raise ? Nowt, nothing at all ! Yes I drink, dont smoke but do drive,no, not at the same time.
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This guy has shot himself i think..yes for starters price of a pint here is outrageous, get a pint in the uk for 0.99pence at wetherspoons during promos. happy hours too. Brings in the punters! I remember way back when jersey pubs were full every night but massive price hikes are common here killing the every day guy in the street one of his lifes pleasures after a hard days work.
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why oh why is your great island spoiling it so much,why do people go abroad,CAUSE IT’S CHEAPER!!.Jersey used to be the same but the big guns have shot themselves in the a— now!!
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Given the extortionate prices Randalls charges in their establishments and the fact that the traditional pubs are being refurbished to turn them into a resteraunt [Portelet] shows this. Tax reprsents only a small proportion of the price paid for a pint. £3.90 for a bottle of Magners, I can get 12 for £20 in a certain offlicence. Taking away wages and other costs Randalls still cream off large profits on the price of each pint. Is it any wonder pubs are empty most days of the week
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#Frank(8)
If everybody stopped drinking and smoking for a year,the economy would collapse.
Where would they get their tax from?
My guess would be to put up GST to at least 10%.
the taxes collected from these 2 alone keep the hospital running.
Which means next time you see a drinker or smoker you should salute him/her as they are paying for our treatment.
Without this tax you would most probably have to pay for your own hospital treatment as well.
Actually you should really give this outcast a hug and a kiss as he/she could save your life
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Not forgetting pub lunches which are a complete rip-off in most establishment.
the ordinary cafes are better value.
the pubs are trying to re-coup losses from drinkers by turning to the food market instead.
They put wine glasses on the table and kid on they have upgraded the place.
And at the same time put up the prices and wonder why people don,t go back after 1 visit.
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Another example of how we are blatantly ripped off here is…re routing ordinary mail..here Seventy quidish for a quarter…in U.K. sixteen pound ..something…so double would be bad enough but we have double and then double it again…is it any wonder that ordinary people are leaving and those left are so cheesed off…so ypu must let your voices be heard..this meeting in the square should be moved to a lunchtime the authorities must be laughing at such a strategic blunder…11 0clock …we’re all at work silly..
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They could probably double the duty on alcohol and tobacco in Jersey and consumption would not change one bit.
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am in UK at moment & pints from 99p to £1.80 with pub food prices at very competetive prices.
David Le Quesne correct UK visitors will choke on seeing our prices for their “holiday” pint.
The Bailiffs office want to control “happy hours” & their cheap prices,they would not have much control in UK as it seems all premises are “happy 24 hours”
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“little or no visitors”? Wher does he get that from. Ive visited the island 3 times this year. I only returned last week and at visited more than a few Randalls pubs for a drink and a meal. Each time there was a healthy mix of tourists and locals, even in the more rural locations. I did think however that the price of a pint was a bit steep but being on holiday it didnt really bother us too much. I do agree that you cant carry on hiking prices or local trade will be affected.
Mind you i would pay a tenner for a pint if i could sit outside a Jersey pub with the sun beating down on the tranquility of rural Jersey!
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This price rise still keeps the amount of excise duty paid on a pint to less than 30p. It is a 1.5p price rise, so when the price of your pint goes up by 5 or 10p, then don’t simply blame the States because of a 1.5p tax rise. It is a headline grabbing 6.2%, but it is not much against the total price of your pint!
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#14 Bella, unfortunately this convenient argument is somewhat misinformed. Medical treatment for illnesses caused by (and made worse by) smoking and excessive drinking costs an absolute fortune every year. I would happily bet that the taxes brought in are less than the treatment needed due to smoking and drinking. They costs are certainly higher than the ‘benefits’ in the UK, is there really any way that it could be the reverse in Jersey?
Remember that we are talking everything from the worsening of fairly well-known respiratory conditions to all injuries caused by drunkenness that require medical treatment. This includes injuries sustained from falling over, treatment for victims of domestic abuse (many cases of which are fuelled by alcohol), internal bleeds etc. Many situations where alcohol is not the only contributing factor yet it’s removal from the equation would almost certainly have prevented the need for medical assistance. I have no issue with people drinking. And, in fact, I have no real issue with people smoking IF they switch over to the e-cigarette,. But, once you tot up ALL the ways that drinking and smoking cause harm to the human body it costs the health services a heck of a lot of money.
You seem a sensible sort and I don’t doubt that you may contribute more in taxes than you ever ‘claim back’ in medical care, but unfortunately that is not the case for the majority of drinkers and smokers.
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A millionaire Treasury Minister making decisons completely out of touch with the costs of normal life for the average working man? Hardly shocking, is it?
If you don’t want this sort of thing to happen again, use your votes more wisely next election.
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The result of this is not hard to predict.. If pubs, bars, hotels restaurants, shops etc are forced to reduce their margins because of massive increases in duty then some of them will simply not be able to afford remain open. That means fewer outlets and less choice for the consumer. Remember Jersey is a small market. Another thing to remember is that its not always the retailer that is making the whole profit.. In the case of cig’s and tobacco one importer controls at least 75% of the market and with fuel three suppliers share the market. Shops, garage forecourts and wholesalers are FORCED to buy through these monopolistic organistaions and it is they that should be investigated as, with the current very competitive pricing currently available in the Island, the importer is often making the larger profit and that is quite simply wrong!
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I am not surprised that tourism has fallen on the island, it is far to expensive compared to the uk. I can still get a pint for £1.65. Open your eyes Jersey and drop the prices ie hotel accomodation flights food and beverages. I have friends that have been going to Jersey for 25 years no more though because of the greedy retailers on the island.
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#21 Leah Holmes
In the UK the tax paid on cigarettes and alcohol is more than double that paid on treatment (£12 bn v £24 bn from memory).
Although this might ignore some instances of more trivial things such as A&E attendances for falls, etc, it also ignores smokers living an average of 8 years less than non-smokers and the money that is saved on residential care, nursing home places, treatment of chronic diseases in old age, etc. This is a huge saving.
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