Trade associations fail over licensing reform, says Neame
Stuart Neame, the "Kill the Bill" campaigner and vice-chairman of Kent brewer Shepherd Neame, has accused trade associations of failing the industry over licensing reform. Speaking at a London conference on the Licensing Bill last week he said that trade bodies had lost the chance to de-regulate the existing licensing laws because they had pushed for new legislation.
He believes the result will be a new act where fees will be costly, the system bureaucratic and that the staggered closing times will not ease drink related violence on the streets.
He also accused the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) of supporting the new licensing regime to ensure future business, as under the new regime all new licensees must have completed the relevant training.
Mr Neame said: "It was the judgement of the century and they got it wrong.
"They have forfeited any chance of beneficial reforms for our lifetimes. We have lost the chance to tackle the real problems of today's pubs.
"Pubs will be bogged down in a political bureaucratic quagmire," he argued.
But trade associations have fought back against the accusations.
Nick Bish, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, argued that deregulation was not on offer from the government.
"I accept that deregulation of hours was an attractive solution for some operators. But it wasn't deregulation that was on offer - it was comprehensive licensing reform involving many parts of the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries.
"The ALMR and other trade associations have promoted the interests of the industry throughout and protected operators from many of the worse excesses that would have gone through if it had not been for our vigilance and arguments."
John McNamara, chief executive of the BII, said: "We are a regulated charity and any money we make gets ploughed back into the industry through our social responsibility initiatives, helping with disorder partnerships and designing new qualifications.
"We have been involved in the licensing consultation with many licensees groups including the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' and the Guild of Master Victuallers and our role has been to give advice. There are many awarding bodies and we do not have a monopoly."
