UK Row over "Beer and Bingo" advert

[SummerRain]

A conservative advert, released after the budget announcement, highlights changes to taxes affecting beer and bingo. The advert has been criticised by Labor and Lib Dems as being patronising.

But Lib Dem Treasury minister Danny Alexander said it was "rather patronising".

He told the BBC's Newsnight programme it "demeans some sensible things in the Budget" and said when he first saw the advert, he thought it was a "spoof".

'Fob off'
"It may be our Budget but it is their (the Conservatives') words," Mr Alexander added..

"They cut tax on Bingo, which is a good thing," he said. "They took a penny off a pint of beer - you've got to drink one hundred pints of beer to save a pound.

"They then put an advert out which says we've done things to help working people with 'the kind of things they enjoy'.

"'They'? It was so patronising! I can't believe the chancellor. Did he really sign this advert off? Does he really think that he can just say to people who are working people, well look bingo and beer that's all you care about?

"What about energy prices? What about youth jobs? What about getting on the housing ladder? What about small businesses who can't get bank loans?

"On all those things he was silent. He's not going to fob off and patronise people in our country."

Is it patronising?

 

[Freesia]

Yes.

 

[Second Summer]

I haven't seen the advert yet. (I'm on a slow network.) But if they're implying that beer and bingo are high on the priority list for us in the working class, then that is insulting. The government, to their credit (and maybe it's thanks to the Lib Dems, not sure) actually does have a decent scheme to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder. (It's called "help to buy".) That would be approximately a million times more reasonable to pat themselves on the back for.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I thought the advert was satirical when I first saw it the other day, although I have seen that people had fun with it making up fake versions. It is incredibly patronising to say the least.

 

[Blobbenstein]

 

[Clueless Git]

A bit of classic Thatcherite 'hog calling' there ...

When Tories call "Hoooooooo-EY!" and throw swill at the beer drinking bingo playing 'piggy-piggies' out there, there's only one reason.

That one reason being that they're running short of bacon and it's getting close to makin' bacon sandwiches for the fat-cats time.

 

[Ann Chovie]

The advert has been criticised by Labor and Lib Dems as being patronising.

Is it patronising?[/QUOTE]

No not patronising at all

but a little remiss..why no concessions on Turkey Twisslers and Day Glo shell suits?

 

[Envy]

Since when hasn't beer been an important thing for everyone in the UK?