One thing that hasn’t changed, indeed is becoming even more apparent, is that the pub ‘industry’, despite the huge turnover in the sector, isn’t really a unified industry at all.
This goes some way to explain the lack of strong leadership in the sector, but the increasing lack of leadership is now causing a real problem. The sector is seen as irreconcilably divided, with not only very different views of what are the key issues and policy demands, but actually even more different visions of the industry in the future.
The once respected Brewers’ Society, which became the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), is now the lobbying group for the giant pubcos whose discredited business model has been the subject of as many as four damning select committee reports.
Having in the past been regarded, certainly in Westminster and Whitehall, as the leading trade voice, the BBPA is now seen for what it sadly has become, the mouthpiece of the pubcos and that voice is drowning out all others and also stopping the BBPA being listened to on many other important issues, which is not helping those causes, many of which would unite those who work in and around or care about the future of pubs.
As chair of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, I seek to work with all organisations and companies who push a genuinely pro-pub agenda and that is one that seeks to promote and preserve community pubs. It saddens me and surprises our members when organisations and indeed pub-owning companies oppose our agenda and indeed defend things that lead to the losses of viable pubs up and down the country.
As well as trying simply to defy and deny the Business Innovation & Skills Committee findings, the BBPA also opposes the Save the Pub Group’s campaign for more protection for pubs in planning law. Why? Because they want to defend the right of the pubcos to close and develop pubs against the wishes of communities, because it suits their shareholder interest to do so. That really says it all.
We need clarity and honesty about who organisations represent and speak for. If the BBPA is to continue to be the voice of the pubcos then a new strong voice is needed both for pubs and for beer. It is time for real leadership that is strong and true. It now seems clear, it is time for changes in organisations to match the times or the pub ‘industry’ will continue to be ignored.