A night in Glasgow with the Justice Minister

[Glen]

A night out on the tiles with the justice ministerGERRY BRAIDEN February 09 2009
The minibus pulls up and around a dozen mostly middle-aged men stream out and walk into an occasional haunt of the professional Scottish footballer and C-list celebrity.

The age profile, attire, sense of purpose and ID badges mark them out from the Saturday night revellers they squeeze past.

Generally too old and loosely organised to be police, one mid-30s drinker offers an explanation.

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"Health and safety", he says, just as his companion recognises the tall, dapper gent in the overcoat bringing up the rear.

"That's that Kenny MacAskill though," he says. "It'll be something to do with drink."

That "something" was an unprecedented visit by a Scottish minister to witness first-hand Scotland's largest city in the throes of a Saturday night, from the merriment and cheer to the mayhem and human carnage, and to see for himself a vibrant economic sector facing up to the challenges of the biggest economic downturn in living memory.

By 3am, he will have had close encounters with flying bottles, seen bloodied revellers make allegations of "bouncer brutality", drunken teenage girls protected from the ravages of hypothermia by more-considerate door stewards and visited upwards of 20 licensed premises across the spectrum of tastes and clientele.

Above all, the justice minister got to sample life at the coalface for Scotland's licensing boards, the bodies to which, come September, he will hand extraordinary authority to shape the nation's drinking habits.

From protecting the health of communities to deciding what is the right price for a pint on their patch, licensing boards will put their local interpretations on to the guidelines that the minister will set.

However, for an SNP minister, Glasgow, whose licensing chiefs come with reputations for being both forward-thinking and truculent, was a bold choice.

The biggest cities come with the biggest problems and the issues relevant to Glasgow will not be the same in Galashiels.

His guests were also largely Labour councillors, with the city's licensing board chairman, councillor James McNally, never slow about coming forward with his views.

Around eight times a year the board undertakes "site visits", unannounced arrivals at a number of predetermined premises to check they are complying with their requirements.

Is the manager on the premises? Are the toilets clean and safe? Are drinking vessels being cleared away, thus removing both hazards and weapons, and plastic used after midnight? Are staff safely monitoring and supervising their customers?

First stop on Saturday night is Royal Exchange Square in the heart of the city centre. Hastily arranged into two groups, the board and minister check a number of venues owned by two of the biggest names in the business, Stefan King and James Mortimer.

The smoking ban and advent of outdoor seating has prompted a number of complaints about patrons drinking outside designated areas in the vicinity.

On Saturday night, there are no such problems.

The west end area around Byres Road and Dumbarton Road is next on the itinerary.

Intelligence suggests that one venue is developing a reputation as a haunt for the under-18s, yet on the night the few people in the bar are clearly above the legal drinking age.

At another venue, Mr MacAskill is given an insight into the tricks that are employed by the trade to extend drinking hours, namely the categorisation of stereo-playing music as "entertainment" to secure a 3am licence.

Tellingly, however, several establishments on Byres Road, the famous thoroughfare which is synonymous with the hospitality trade, are barely half-full at 9.30pm.

In the cobbled Ashton Lane the minister encounters the first problem of the evening, the failure of one popular venue to properly clear glasses.

Noted, the concerns were then passed to the new- fangled "licensing standards officers", local authority employees who are working undercover across the city to monitor the trade.

Two just happen to be in Ashton Lane, so the matter is communicated immediately.

Back to the less genteel surroundings of the city centre, and as the night passes the levels of drunkenness become more obvious. As the board congregates outside Frankenstein's theme bar, the culture of excess is evident.

A young female falls just a yard from the minister and is only brought back to her feet by friends who then immediately usher her into a waiting taxi.

A random comment by two customers to a member of the board then results in the pair being searched for possession of drugs.

At another high-profile venue on the fringes of the Merchant City, it is noted that the post-midnight requirements to switch from glass to toughened glass or plastic are not being observed.

It is now well into the midnight hour and the minister is experiencing all Sauchiehall Street has to offer.

At one well-known chain-owned venue, the abundance of glass is again an issue, the sticky carpets and dance floors also indicating a less than diligent regime.

One of the officials with the board also mentions the lack of management on a number of premises. Come September, practices like this could come with the very real risk of closure.

At other venues, though, namely the legendary Garage nightclub and the student-orientated Campus, the proprietors are on hand to give Mr MacAskill a window into the trade from an early-hours industry perspective.

It is now the time of night when seasoned board members and officials are warning the minister to expect the unexpected. As the entourage arrives at one club, there is a sudden display of benevolence to an erstwhile ignored and under-dressed young female.

A board member says he recognises the early signs of hypothermia and suggests calling an ambulance.

At that moment, she is compassionately escorted back inside the club with a comforting arm. Upstairs, the minister narrowly misses a projectile, namely a glass bottle, tossed in his general direction. A few moments later, a door steward with an abrasion to his head is seen escorting an aggressive customer from the premises.

At the penultimate stop-off, there is also the most worrying drama. As some board members await their colleagues at the entrance to a "hybrid" venue, two door stewards grapple with a bloodied customer.

His partner pleads for restraint but it is abundantly clear both ambulance and police attentions are now required.

Allegations are made against the door staff as the minister looks on. By the time the board and Mr MacAskill depart, a queue is forming to offer witness statements to the police.

It is a thankless and tiring job, balancing the needs of the customer and trade, of safety and the economy.

After almost seven exhausting hours, did the minister, with a journey to the other side of the country still ahead of him, find the experience worthwhile? He said: "We have a problem with the abuse of alcohol in this country, but what I've seen tonight has largely been the enjoyment of alcohol.

"In the main, people were enjoying themselves.

"Our job is to seek to assist licensing boards continue the diligent duties they perform for their communities. They help keep the night-time economy vibrant and ensure that those who are out are safe."

In Glasgow, he has encountered a board that has a radical and professional reputation.

Not every one of the remaining 41 boards can say the same about themselves, so how confident is the minister after Saturday night that his sweeping reforms will be carried through? "We don't have one simple panacea to solve the problem of alcohol," he said.

"We want to ensure that there is scope for local interpretation. Glasgow has significant problems and what might be appropriate for here is not necessarily right for rural areas or small towns. Although we want to set guidelines, these are flexible enough for boards to use their common sense and do what's appropriate for their own communities.

"Boards know their areas better than I do. I set the parameters, they operate what is best for their environments."

Despite the economic downturn and the potential for trade wars in places like Glasgow, as the industry attempts to seduce a dwindling clientele with low-price drink, the minister is clearly determined to press ahead with his policies and hinted again that minimum pricing was the way forward and that off-sales were still the real nut to crack.

He said: "Minimum pricing provides perhaps more of a level playing field between the on and off-trade.

"Although we did see people who drunk to excess, we also saw impressive security, with a visible police presence. All along we have argued that we believe there are benefits to people drinking in much more secure and supervised environments.

"If you're drinking in an environment with supervision and qualified staff, you're less likely to get into difficulties."

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Interesting read there. Good to hear these people at the top that make the big decisions actually going into the environments we do week in, week out and seeing the goings on first hand. Can only lead to better things in the future surely.

[Glen]

There are changes afoot mate, I was telling Scott last night, will bring you upto speed when I see you,. the SIA appear to be assisting us a little shall we say.

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Intreguing. Look forward to hearing of the news.