Steve Lawson, Monster Raving Loony Party sympathiser and our No 1 supporter and taster of the Co-ALE-ition brand of ales is pictured with George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer and member of the Coalition Government, in the gardens of his residence at Dorneywood House in Burnham (Bucks).
Steve, who is not related to Nigel (former Chancellor of the Exchequer), took the opportunity to tell George all about the Co-ALE-ition brand of ales. Steve showed George a pumpclip or two containing the famous photo of David Cameron and Howling taken at the Witney General Election in May 2010 with Howling’s arm lifted triumphantly in the air. Steve even got a smile from George when he explained that the ALE in Co-ALE-ition stood for “Another Loony Experience” and even bigger one when he showed him the Hope & Glory pumpclip and told him IPA stood for “Insanity Prevents Austerity”.
Steve, who is an active member of CAMRA, took the opportunity to mention lowering beer duty and encouraging more people to drink responsibly in pubs rather than at home. Steve asked George to do more to reduce the ever increasing rate of pub closures (now averaging 31 per week in 2014, up from a high of 26 per week in 2013) by freeing up pub landlords from brewery ties and making it far more difficult for owners to demolish pubs and build supermarkets and houses/flats on the vacant land.
As George rushed off back into Dorneywood House for a 3pm meeting, Steve handed him a bottle of Monster Mash as a reminder of their Co-ALE-ition meeting.