Licensing Act 1904

The Licensing Act 1904 (4 Edw. 7. c. 23) was a controversial act of the British Parliament regulating the closure of public houses (pubs) in England and Wales. It was introduced by the Home Secretary, supported by Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and passed by his Conservative Party.^[1][2]

Licensing Act 1904

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Licensing Acts, 1828 to 1902, in respect to the extinction of Licences and the grant of new Licences.
Citation	4 Edw. 7. c. 23
Dates
Royal assent	15 August 1904
Other legislation
Repealed by	Licensing (Consolidation) Act 1910
Status: Repealed

The issue helped the Liberal Party win the 1906 United Kingdom general election by a landslide.^[3] The Licensing Act 1904 aimed to reduce the number of pubs. It proposed to compensate brewers for the cancellation of their licence, through a fund the brewers themselves would have to pay into.^[4] This led many Nonconformists who adhered to temperance (see United Kingdom Alliance) to denounce it as a "brewers' bill". Meanwhile, the brewers themselves were generally dissatisfied, and they let their customers know.^[5]

See also

• Alcohol licensing laws of the United Kingdom
• Index of drinking establishment–related articles
• Pub