Carlsberg chief attacks MP over boycott call

Carlsberg chief executive Isaac Sheps has claimed that a boycott of its products, over the brewer's decision to shut its Leeds Tetley brewery, would put "local jobs at risk" - and warned an MP about his comments on the situation.

In a letter to MP Greg Mulholland, Sheps wrote: "I must in all candour say that your advocacy of a boycott or our products could put local jobs at risk.

"Even after the closure we will still employ around 200 people in Yorkshire."

The Carlsberg chief was responding to a letter from Mulholland, who has called for a boycott of Carlsberg over its decision to close the Leeds brewery and move production of Tetley's to Wolverhampton.

"Any negative impact on our business in the region will also impact on these individuals," Sheps wrote.

"I hope that you can be mindful of this when making statements in th future."

The Carlsberg boss also confirmed in the letter that 145 people would lose their job, as a result of the brewery closure.

Two thirds of these people will keep their job until the closes in June 2011, but the rest will be made redundant at the end of this year.

But he reiterated the closure was a "prudent response to challenging market conditions".

However Mulholland remained unimpressed by Sheps' response.

"Carlsberg, conscious of the anger that their betrayal of Tetley's and Leeds has caused, now have the audacity to suggest that our protest could affect jobs so we should not criticise them," he said.

"This is ludicrous,but also quite sinister and deeply hypocritical. It is Carlsberg who have decided to stop brewing Tetley's and making many people redundant.

"Due to their decision to end Tetley's 188 history as a Leeds beer, 145 will lose their jobs and no new jobs will be created by the moves."