[Acrylic-bob]

Well, you may be right about ASDA in Accrington, I do not know what their licensing hours are because I never shop there. However, different branches do operate different policies, apparently subject to the branch manager's discretion.

Why does a tenant in a tied house pay more for beer than a free house? Simple because a tied house, as is implied by the description, is owned by the brewery. Breweries are businesses and the object of any business is to maximise profit any way they can. That is a duty imposed upon them by shareholders. In addition to charging for beer at the full rate, they will also add a proportion to the cost of the product to cover the cost of any capital investment made in the premises, plus advertising and promotion costs, plus any loans they may have made to the tennant to cover fixtures and fittings. For the truth of that why don't you nip in to the Walmsley and have a word with the landlord there, I am sure he will be only too happy to explain Thwaites's pricing policy to you. And if you nip in on a quiet afternoon he might even have time to draw you a diagram - it certainly seems like you need one.

As far as political blinkers are concerned Ken old chap, I have no use for them. Unlike some who like their opinions pre-packaged, I prefer to think for myself. That way if I make a mistake there is only me to blame.

You are quite right to allow that all Governments, have their faults, but I think that you must also allow that some have more than most and that the last Government showed itself as being second to none in that regard.