there are no public canteens in the city (what council could now afford to hang on to such a quantity of land after cuts?) After the war Conservatives dismisse

there are no public canteens in the city (what council could now afford to hang on to such a quantity of land after cuts?) After the war Conservatives dismissed them in parliament because they weren’t making profit. The canteens were allowed to decline, then disappear. Where I live, and apparently where the author lives, there's no way they could survive without government support, because they don't extract as much money from the space as other styles of restaurant do. The restaurant business is very tough, even without serving affordable food to all classes and providing ample space for lingering.