New campaign against beer tie

Fair Pint and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) have launched a campaign urging the Government to refer the beer tie to the Competition Commission.

They also want the Government to ensure rents are "set in a transparent and fair way" and to introduce a statutory code of practice "to improve fairness" in the pubco/tenant relationship.

Last month's damning report on pubcos from the Business and Enterprise Committee (Bec) urged the Government to refer the tie to the Commission.

Fair Pint Campaign and the FSB will call on their members to send letters to their MPs expressing their concern about the tie and demand that it be lifted.

Fair Pint campaigner Steve Corbett said: "If we are going to secure the future of pubs in the UK it is important that the Government takes action to respond to the recommendations of the Committee by referring the tie to the Competition Commission and by introducing a statutory code of practice to improve the fairness of the relationship between lessees and the pub owners.

"We are delighted to be working with the FSB on this national campaign to persuade publicans and all those who care about the future of the British pub to write to their MP asking them to put pressure on Lord Mandelson to adopt the recommendations of the Committee report."

Clive Davenport, Federation of Small Businesses trade and industry chairman, said: "With thousands of pub businesses failing every year, it's time the Government took urgent action to stop the trend. The Government must listen to the concerns the Committee report raised about pub companies, and listen to the voices of the country's publicans, who are telling them the tie is unfair.

"The FSB has been campaigning on this issue on behalf of its publican members since 2004, and it's time we saw a change."