Ex-pubs minister: give Mulholland the job

Former pubs minister John Healey has called on the coalition Government to appoint a replacement — and he suggested Greg Mulholland for the role.

In the BBC Politics Show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, aired yesterday, Healey, Labour MP for Wentworth, said the long-term solution to the problem of tied pubs was "Government legislation". He said 2009's damning Business and Enterprise report into pubcos was the "best basis for the future".

Healey also said: "My concern is they (pubcos) are not treating their tenants fairly and customers are losing out. They (tenants) should have guest beers, open contracts and make sure that the sort of device used behind pumps to measure the flow of beer are properly and independently calibrated."

Ben Kirkam, host at Enterprise Inns-owned pub the Queens Hotel in Bridlington, told the programme: "I earned £5,800 last year, and I work in excess of 60 and 80 hours a week. We're on family tax credit and my partner actually has a full-time and a part-time job just so we can make ends meet."

Rachelle Wilkins of the GMB told the BBC the trade union had got involved with the pub industry because licensees were being treated absolutely "shamefully" by pubcos.

Enterprise Inns declined to be interviewed but said in a statement the problems the industry faced were due to "successive increases in beer duty, the smoking ban, the burden of excessive regulation and the widespread availability of cheap alcohol from supermarkets."

Leeds north west MP Greg Mulholland said tenants don't blame beer duty for their problems, but say the "business model" that Enterprise and other pubcos operate made it "impossible for them to make a living".

Anthony Manderson, Enterprise licensee at the Roland Arms in Sheffield, said he earned £120 for working more than 60 hours per week.

Manderson said: "The most complaints I get (from customers) are why is the price of beer so high when I can go somewhere else and get a pint for 70p cheaper?"