Jonathan Neame denounces ‘anti-alcohol forces demanding draconian measures’

He told the BBPA’s annual dinner on Wednesday that he wholly rejected “the caricature that the landlord - tenant relationship is one of perpetual tension and conflict and that all lessees are saints and all landlords are sinners”.

The Shepherd Neame chief executive said he was disappointed at the Government’s decision to impose a statutory code covering the relationship between pub companies and tied tenants and insisted market forces would change behaviours far faster than Government intervention.

Neame said there he welcomed Government and Treasury initiatives this year to “roll back unnecessary red tape and taxes” such as small business rate relief.

However, he said elections bring uncertainty, adding: “Anti-alcohol forces are again gathering forces to demand tougher restrictions and increasingly draconian measures to restrict the sector, by making increasingly preposterous guestimates of the cost of alcohol harm, with no corresponding view of the benefits, and in spite of the overwhelming evidence that trends with alcohol are improving.”

He insisted a raft of figures showing falling alcohol consumption showed “that with the partnership between our Industry and fine bodies - such as Drinkaware, the Portman Group and other organisations - education, awareness, combined with a targeted local enforcement is the way to a healthy society, not blanket measures such as high taxes, bans or statutory intervention.”

Positive​

He added: “As an association with members who own more than 20,000 pubs in this country, we are very clear we want fair and honest dealings with our licensees, we want positive dialogue and professional business discussions. We want new entrants to trust their future landlord.

“But, if there are landlords where there is clear and consistent evidence of bad practice, our message is clear : Change your ways! Let us all work with our partners to drive footfall to our pubs, for mutual benefit and to focus on giving our customers a great time.”

He concluded his speech by saying that the BBPA “look forward to working with whoever is in Government in May next year.  We aim to be a good partner so long as there is a low tax, light touch approach to our sector”.

Fair Pint campaigner Simon Clarke took issue with Neame’s speech, saying: “Although I would agree with Jonathan, not all tenants are saints, I am still struggling to find a landlord who is not a sinner - St Austell maybe?

“Market forces are unable to do what needs to be done all the while there is an artificial environment provided behind the wall that is the tie, the last 20 years should have taught us that.

“It seems to me that it is the forced and artificial environment of the beer tie that is draconian not the measures to ensure it is brought kicking and screaming into a civilised society where tenants can be assured of a fair and reasonable contract. Even Jonathan's so called blanket measures are in fact, good, modern, business practices most of which they claim to have been operating since voluntary regulation began.”