One in the eye for Sky and the Premier League?

Today's formal opinion by the European Advocate General Julianne Kokott, in favour of Karen Murphy, the Hampshire licensee who has been battling the Premier League and Sky is a boost to struggling pubs.

Although not binding on the judges hearing Karen's case in the European Court of Justice, I certainly hope they follow the lead of the EU's foremost lawyer.

For too long Sky and Premier have ridden rough-shod over the UK pub industry whilst squeezing ever exorbitant fess from cash-strapped publicans.

I, for one, ditched Sky and bought a foreign system some 18 months ago and the savings were some £15,000 p.a. - with the added benefit that the matches we chose to show were unencumbered by the inane ramblings of "experts" and pundits.

Congratulations on this significant step toward clearing your name Karen, your fortitude and courage are an example to us all on not taking it up the a**e from big business anymore!

Thrive on 5

So, further to my last post, it would seem that along with other commentators we all feel the burden of duty and taxation visited on the pub industry is too big.

Accordingly, it is great to see the launch of the Morning Advertiser's campaign to get VAT reduced to 5% for the hospitality industry.

I, for one, will be writing to my MP to enlist his support for this campaign as our industry is surely one of the few that can help lead our economy out of the doldrums. You should do the same.

Nice one MA !