Statutory code: pubcos under fire at Fair Deal for Your Local Westminster rally
The Fair Deal for Your Local campaign was launched by 10 trade organisations, including the Campaign for Real Ale, the Federation of Small Businesses and various licensees' groups in May.
Around 100 people turned up to the rally in the House of Commons to call on their MPs to back the statutory code and to back a market rent-only option.
And 90 MPs have signed a Early Day Motion (EDM) in support of the campaign while more have issued supported on the Fair Deal for Your Local website. Greg Mulholland, Liberal Democrat MP and chairman of Save the Pub Group said the pubco behaviour “is actually one of the big corporate abuse scandals in recent British history”.
He added: “The scandal of the overvaluation of estates, on ludicrously inflated and unachievable figures against which huge amounts of money was borrowed in the form of securitised loans which led to each of the two largest pubcos being in debt.
“The only way they can get that money back is by overcharging the small business the hard working licensees.”
His view was supported by the former chairman of the select committee which investigated the pubco-tenant relationship Peter Luff. He urged licensees and campaigners to get their MPs to write to Chancellor George Osborne as the “Treasury may be lobbying behind the scenes to water down the proposals”.
He added: “I don’t sign EDMs I think they are a waste of space but every MP can make a submission to the consultation.”
Shadow pub minister Toby Perkins said: "There are not that many times in a politicians life where you can both do the right thing and know that it is popular."
The forces of darkness are working together and are working against us. They are in a small grubby little room and they are making a different case."We need to make this fairly technical issue a consumer issue that every single person can get behind and could support. So the sheer weight of public opinion says to those pub companies the time is up."
