A pub in Bristol has been branded ‘Britain’s wokest’ after its landlord made the decision to ban the sale of Thatcher’s cider, Heineken, Coca Cola and Bacardi at the bar.
The Red Lion in Bristol made the move after a campaign was launched in the city to boycott Somerset cider makers Thatcher’s.
Countering Colston, an activist group in Bristol, revealed last week that the cider company’s director and fourth-generation cider-maker was a member of a merchants’ society with deep links to slave trader Edward Colston.
After this came to light, bosses at The Red Lion said it would be ‘hypocritical’ to continue selling the cider.
They then also made the decision to ban Heineken beers, Coca Cola and Bacardi as the companies behind these products are also accused of maintaining unethical production practises around the globe.
Criticism of the pub has come in thick and fast from culture warriors online, but bosses at The Red Lion are sticking to their morals on the matter.
Landlord Lemmy has spoken out, telling the South West News Service.: ‘We have taken what we consider to be an ethical stance — it’s part of who we all are.
‘We have been labelled “woke” and all these weaponised words, which have made us feel pretty vulnerable.’
“When we have taken the stance which we believe is ethical, we do not want to be made some kind of target.”
Elaborating on the pub’s decision not to sell Coca Cola and other products deemed unethical, he added: “We don’t serve Coca-Cola because they have a history of seriously bad use of water in third-world countries,”
Image: Google
The pub also does not sell Polish lager Tyskie, because of the company’s apparent links with the anti-LGBTQ movement.
It emerged earlier this month that Thatcher’s cider director and fourth-generation cider-maker Martin Thatcher has been a member of a merchants’ society with deep links to slave trader Edward Colston since 2012.
Countering Colston, an activist group in Bristol, launched the boycott-Thatcher’s campaign last week in protest at the Society of the Merchant Venturers (SMV’s) deep links with Bristol’s historical slave trade.
The activist group tweeted: “Martin Thatcher, director of the company, is a member of the Society of the Merchant Venturers.
“The SMV has deep roots in the historical slave trade in Bristol, and its members were responsible for the suffering and death of tens of thousands of human beings.
“They are a powerful unelected elite who have significant influence on political and civic life in Bristol.”
Feature image – Google
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Drinks prices for Manchester Oasis gigs announced – and you’ll be pleasantly surprised
Daisy Jackson
The prices of drinks at Heaton Park for the five huge Manchester Oasis shows have been released in advance.
With the Gallagher brothers reuniting on stage in their hometown for the first time this weekend (and then again next week), it’s a huge moment for our city.
Those lucky enough to snag tickets have already forked out a small fortune to witness this moment in history (still scarred from the dynamic pricing debacle).
And most of us were probably bracing to spend another small fortune on beers at the Oasis Manchester gigs.
But you might be pleasantly surprised at the drinks prices up at Heaton Park for Oasis Live ’25.
It’s now been confirmed that pints of lager and cider will be just £6.50.
Before you turn your nose up, remember that pints at our two arenas – the AO Arena and Co-op Live are now sitting around the £9 mark.
Prices for other drinks, like wine and spirits, we’ll have to wait until Friday to see.
Heaton Park will also be the home of the ‘largest beer garden’ and the longest bars in the city for the Oasis reunion.
With a major heatwave predicted for the first shows, fans are being encouraged to stay hydrated (on WATER, not beer, please).
Ticket-holders will be allowed to bring a sealed bottle of water up to 500ml in with you, but it must be collapsible plastic.
Solid plastic and metal containers will be rejected on safety grounds.
There’s a free water point on site where you can fill up your bottles again.
Oasis will perform at Heaton Park in Manchester on 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20 July.
Dates announced as resident doctors prepare to stage strikes this month
Emily Sergeant
Resident doctors in England have voted to stage strike action over pay, and the dates for the industrial action have now been confirmed.
The British Medical Association (BMA) says doctors have ‘spoken clearly’ after the results of a vote published today revealed that 90% of resident doctors have voted in favour of a potential return to industrial action.
It comes after the ballot – which ran from 27 May until 7 July – saw a turnout of 55% members, with almost 30,000 (29,741) votes cast.
26,766 of those votes endorsed the use of strike action as part of efforts to restore pay, while just under 3,000 voted against it.
The result means that resident doctors have now secured a fresh mandate to stage industrial action when they choose from now until January 2026.
BMA resident doctors committee co-chairs, Melissa Ryan and Ross Nieuwoudt, said that, while no doctor took the possibility of striking lightly, a clear majority of members felt that they had ‘no other choice’ given the ongoing failures to restore pay.
They added that Health Secretary Wes Streeting has the power to ‘make the right decision’ on pay, and urged the Government to return to negotiations ‘as soon as possible’.
It’s now been confirmed that resident doctors will stage a full walk out from 7am on Friday 25 July until 7am on Wednesday 30 July.
These upcoming strikes come after resident doctors – formerly known as junior doctors, until 2024 – in England participated in an unprecedented 11 rounds of strike action after negotiations with the previous Conservative Government over restoring pay repeatedly stalled.
“Doctors have spoken and spoken clearly – they won’t accept that they are worth a fifth less than they were in 2008,” the committee co-chairs said. “Our pay may have declined but our will to fight remains strong.
“Doctors don’t take industrial action lightly, but they know it is preferable to watching their profession wither away.
“The next move is the Government’s – will it repeat the mistakes of its predecessor? Or will it do the right thing and negotiate a path to full pay restoration and the restoration of doctors’ confidence in our profession’s future?”
Georgina Pellant -
18th February 2022 
