On the plus side, the burqa business has seen a huge spike in business.

Via Stoke Sentinel:

A former director of the brewery company Marston’s has said Britain’s growing Muslim population is one of the main reasons for pub closures.

Lord Hodgson, of Astley Abbotts, made the point while arguing recent industrymoves to allow landlords tied to big firms to demand rent-only agreements were misguided.

He said “socio-economic factors”, such as a growing number of teetotal Muslims living in Britain, played a much bigger role in the decline in pubs than “rapacious owners”.

A recent amendment to the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will see tenant landlords able to opt out of being required to sell only alcohol provided by their pub company.

“In areas of Nottingham, Leicester, Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham the increase in the Muslim population, who don’t drink, leads to many pub closures.

“The tide is running against the ordinary pub.”