'Pub tenants need an independent champion'

Anti-pubco brigade Fair Pint has called for a genuine independent representative body for tenants.

Fair Pint believes Enterprise boss Ted Tuppen's offer to stump up £100,000 for a new trade body would give pubcos an undue influence over it — an accusation totally denied by Tuppen.

Fair Pint has also voiced its concerns over former Enterprise man Martin Caffrey taking over at the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, despite assurances from Caffrey that he has no conflict of interests.

One of Fair Pint's long-term aims has been to set up a representative body for tenants, possibly to be headed by rent review expert David Morgan.

"The lack of a powerful representative voice to represent the interests of tenants is something which is recognized across the sector and has been seen as one of the reasons why the problems currently facing the sector where allowed to grow unchecked," said Fair Pint founding member Steve Corbett.

"The growth of the Fair Pint Campaign, from launch to now representing nearly a thousand tenants in little over a year, shows there is a demand for an independent champion who is able to act as a voice for tenants."

He added: "The financial power of the brewers and the pubcos means that most of the representative bodies in the sector are compromised though links with brewers or pubcos.

"Fair Pint believes that there is a need for a body which can act solely in the interests of tenants. The shape of such a body is something which will be discussed during discussions on the next steps for the Fair Pint campaign over the coming months."