Licensing Act 1904

The Licensing Act of 1904 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.

The issue helped the Liberal Party win the 1906 United Kingdom general election by a landslide. The Licensing Act of 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. This led many Nonconformists who adhered to temperance to denounce it as a "brewers' bill". Meanwhile, the brewers themselves were generally dissatisfied, and they let their customers know.