Kmflett's Blog

The Times, long before Rupert Murdoch took control, has a long history of printing stories attacking the left, often not entirely truthful. Marx and Engels Collected Works contain several examples of Marx writing to the paper correcting ‘errors’ they had made in reporting his activities.

In 2026 the Green Party is firmly in The Times sights, the Editorial on 20th June 2026 being a case in point.

The bottom line is that Bristol CAMRA are not holding a real ale and cider festival at Bristol Council House for cost reasons.

Despite what the Editorial says this is nothing to do with the Green Party’s policy on currently illegal drugs. The policy which would liberalise drug use in an effort to control it, is not in the power of the Council.

The paper does report a speech (accurately or not) by Council Deputy Leader the Green’s Heather Mack suggesting that offering a reduced cost to CAMRA would break Council policy on promoting alcohol. It has passed The Times by, but the Greens clearly have some supporters who are temperance campaigners. This is a perfectly respectable viewpoint, even if the Greens don’t usually mention it. It is not really however appropriate to a local CAMRA Beer Festival which focuses on sampling local beers and ciders and in doing so promoting hospitality and jobs.

Digging down the actual story seems to be that the Council outsourced catering etc at the Council House and the privateering providers then hiked prices for use. It seems that the Council has intervened to sort this out and CAMRA which had with other users been priced out was offered a revised lower price for the beer festival.

CAMRA don’t appear to have been contacted by The Times but planning festivals takes a lot of work and time (all voluntary) and its likely the new price came too late.