You reported (Oxford Mail, March 17), on the reopening of the Fox Inn at Leafield and the campaign by local residents to keep it open.

UKIP wholeheartedly supports those residents in their endeavours.

The public house, especially in rural areas, is an essential focal point for local people who do not want to drive their cars for miles, to socialise with their family and friends.

UKIP runs a year-round ‘save the pub’ campaign and our leader, Nigel Farage, has spoken eloquently many times in defence of beleaguered landlords.

UKIP says pubs and parliaments are absolutely the correct places to have the debate about circumstances which have led to so many going out of business.

Indeed, UKIP has launched an initiative called ‘Politics of Draught’, making pubs themselves the forum for discussion about the smoking ban (which has taken 20 per cent off pub takings, therefore the need for separate smoking rooms), beer duty, supermarket sales of alcohol and other issues such as the beer tie, which forces landlords to buy only from a single brewery.

Surely, this is sensible ‘straight talking’.

JOHN MADEN, UKIP Oxford, Montague Road, Botley