Mulholland re-elected chair of Save the Pub Group
Outspoken Lib Dem MP Greg Mulholland has been re-elected as chair of the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group at the group's inaugural meeting in the new Parliament.
Northampton South MP Brian Binley and Lord Bilston were elected as joint Vice Chairs.
The meeting also appointed the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to provide secretariat support to the Group as well as approving plans for the formation of a new executive committee of MPs and peers.
Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said: "In the last Parliament the Save the Pub Group was successful in persuading the Government to take seriously the threats facing Britain's pubs. The Group will build on this success in the new Parliament by effective campaigning on a whole range of issues including beer taxation, planning law, and reform of the beer tie.
"Early priorities for the Group include maintaining progress on reform of the beer tie, working with the new Government on the Decentralisation and Localism Bill which will introduce a Community Right to Buy for pubs threatened with closure and the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill which will ban the below cost sale of alcohol."
Jonathan Mail, CAMRA's head of policy and public affairs, said: "CAMRA is looking forward to supporting the Save the Pub Group in its objective to preserve and protect the British Pub. CAMRA will also be supporting MPs to run pub campaigns in their local constituencies in partnership with pub licensees and pub goers. The Save the Pub Group will undoubtedly play a key role in ensuring the coalition Government bring forward a package of policies to support and incentivise well-run pubs."
