Fair Pint to present new evidence to OFT on beer tie

Fair Pint is to present new information to the Office of Fair Trading on why the tie is to the detriment of consumers.

The OFT announced today that it is to run a further six-week consultation process on its response to the Campaign for Real Ale's (CAMRA's) super-complaint (OFT to reconsider CAMRA super-complaint​).

It means that CAMRA's appeal has been shelved until 1 August and that all sides of the industry have the chance to submit further information.

"The OFTs decision to look at the issue of the beer tie again, is good news for tied landlords," said Fair Pint founding member Steve Corbett.  

"We believe that the decision is an admission that the  initial response to the CAMRA super-complaint was not carried out correctly.  

"The OFT's response showed that they had totally failed to understand how the tied pub sector works and many of the assertions in the report were questionable.

"Fair Pint will be presenting new information to the OFT and we would urge publicans and brewers to come forward with evidence of anti-competitive practices within the sector.  

"We welcome that CAMRA are leaving the possibility of further legal action open if the OFT's final decision is as inadequate as the first."  

Industrial action​

Meanwhile, the GMB used the news to launch a savage attack on the OFT, claiming officials had made "fools" out of themselves.

"The pubcos will be delighted that everything is off until August 2010 when the OFT can be relied on to repeat its finding that overcharging is part of a trade dispute and not a matter for the competition authorities," said GMB national officer Paul Maloney.

"GMB is ignoring this farce and is getting on with organizing for a ballot of tied tenants for official industrial action."

The GMB is to hold eight roadshows in West, North and South Yorkshire, Surrey, West Midlands, London, Durham, South Wales, Scotland, Lincolnshire, Sussex, Kent and Avon.

It is believed that the first step in any such industrial action would be a switch-off of Brulines monitoring equipment.