What Oldham Needs: More Unemployment

I used to have a client who were based near Oldham. It's one of the most depressing places I've ever visited in my life. A complete dump.

So, you'd think that they'd be quite desperate for any shreds of economic activity. But no...

Tony Allen, Oldham's licensing officer, said: "The price of alcohol became so cheap that it was attracting people who didn't have a lot of money to spend.

"That type of clientele was attracted to the town and that, we think, led to more violence and more issues concerning that over-consumption."

In case you don't know, Oldham is about 5 miles from Manchester and connected by train. I'm guessing that people looking for a cheap night out get on the train and go to Oldham to get pissed.

Now, Oldham wants to raise the prices and turn the pubs into fun free zones. Can we guess what's likely to happen?

People won't get on a train from Manchester to Oldham and will instead find somewhere closer to drink.

OK, so on the upside, Oldham will lose some trouble and mess. But the downside is that jobs will be lost in their pub, taxi and doner kebab businesses. And the fact is that the tax on alcohol more than covers the violence that it creates.

(from The Telegraph)