John Healey appointed minister for pubs

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08/02/2010

07:09:33

The Government has appointed the first ever minister for pubs in a bid to help stem the wave of pub closures.
Wentworth MP John Healey has reportedly been given the task of heading up a strategy to help save Britain's pubs.
last week, the British Beer and Pub Association said the rate of pub closures had slowed from 52 a week in the first half of 2009 to 39 a week.
Healey, also housing and planning minister, is to head a task force of five ministers who will draw up a plan to help pubs.
He is said to be considering tax breaks for pubs and giving tenants the right to buy pubs from landlords if they are threatened with closure.
A government source told the News of the World : "John is the perfect man for this job.
"There are few ministers you could imagine in a pub, but you can just picture John at the bar with a pint, pork scratchings and darts in his top pocket."

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22 replies - Last reply by Roy Smith, 08/02/2010 15:39:26

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Karl Harrison

08/02/2010

15:11:08

John Healey appointed minister for pubs

What wonderful nonsense from the Brigid Simmonds and the BBPA. Attempting to claim credit for this appointment! Marvellous stuff. The truth tells a slightly different story as is always the case with Simmonds and her motley crue at Market Tower.

Its good news, potentially, that Mr Healey has been appointed. Aside from being an avid supporter of pubs Mr Healey has also demonstrated an understanding of the structural problems in the sector caused by pubco debt and the beer tie.

At the ill-fated and so-called "Ministers' Summit" organised last spring by the increasingly discredited BBPA, Mr Healey was one of 4 ministers present who rightly ignored the bleatings of the cap-in-hand pubcos and brewers, to point out that he could see problems in the structure of the sector.

Mr Healey will no doubt receive a lot of guff from the likes of Brigid Simmonds OBE aimed at hiding the damage being caused to the pub sector by the reprehensible activities of her members. I'm optimistic that Mr Healey will be able to blow the smokescreen out of the way.

Interestingly, the Chief Executive of the BBPA at the time of the "Ministers' Summit" last year was Rob Hayward who was dismissed shortly afterwards by his bitter members whose chauffeurred journeys to the Commons had been a waste of time.