Livingstone campaigns to save pubs

Ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone has become the second prominent Labour figure to launch a campaign to save the pub — with reform of the tie a key element.

Last week Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband lent his support to the trade, and this week London mayoral candidate Livingstone met with the GMB and Fair Pint to launch a campaign to save the capital's pubs.

Livingstone's "Save London's Pubs" policy document sets out a series of measures to "address the threats facing hundreds of London pubs".

These include:

• Backing campaigns by trade unions who are calling for improved treatment of licensees by pub companies

• Pressing for changes in legislation to protect pubs

• Working with councils to enhance planning powers to protect pubs from closure

• Encouraging greater community ownership of pubs.

Livingstone also confirmed he will lobby the Government against cuts to schemes which are giving support to greater community ownership of pubs.

"Pubs are at the heart of communities across London. They make a huge contribution to the economy and to the everyday quality of life in our city. The Mayor must do far more to support London's pubs," he said.

Fair Pint spokesman Steve Corbett said the group, comprising Fair Pint members Mark Dodds and Mike Bell, and the GMB's Hayley Brennan talked about "the real reasons London pubs are closing". They met for an hour today at Bell's pub Portabello Gold in Notting Hill.

Corbett said: "Livingstone was quite sympathetic and knew quite a lot already. He knew there was a problem and wanted to help tied tenants if and when he becomes mayor again."

Hayley Brennan, lead organiser for GMB pub tenants, told the Morning Advertiser that Livingstone would be campaigning with the trade union to bring about regulation and legislation for tied tenants.

"The imbalance of power that exists in the pubco-tenant relationship goes way beyond the single issue of the beer tie and is widely publicised and recognised, even by Government, but still remains unlegislated and unregulated," she said.