A shining light of the future?

What has your experience of both working and drinking in pubs been like?​

As a naive 16-year-old, I got a job at a local pub as a glass collector. I loved it — it taught me so much about life, about dealing with people and it was a bit of an insight into the real world.

I enjoyed it so much I ended up working behind the bar and staying in the industry for 10 years. I provided relief when the manager was away so, by the end, I had a pretty good idea of how a pub works.

It’s helpful now, because I’ve got a reasonable insight in to the hands-on practicalities of running a pub.

Quite often, the time I spend socialising is in a pub, and I actually met my wife in a pub. I was trying to be a bit clever and asked her to pour a Guinness shandy, which anyone in the trade will know is a very difficult drink to pour. I changed it to something easier at the last minute and we’ve been together ever since.

Which departments and which MPs do you see yourself working with ​in parliament?​

I think there’s a lot still to be done and I’m looking to be a proactive minister who really supports the industry. In the last parliament, in coalition, we did a lot to support the industry, like the historic successive cuts in beer duty.

We’ve laid strong foundations, which pubs are starting to see the benefit from. I’m sure I will work with many other departments, such as my colleagues in the Treasury.

Which campaigns and areas will be a particular focus for you?​

I want to get my feet under the table first before I can decide on specific campaigns. Having said that, I’m very conscious that the industry has been through an extremely tough time due to the deepest recession in living memory.

We seem to have turned a corner and things are getting better, but I know there are many challenges for publicans. I want to get around the country, I want to talk to people in the industry and listen to their views on what’s needed to support the great British pub.

Kris Hopkins faced criticism for not being visible in the role, leaving many unsure of who the pubs minister was. How will you make sure you don’t face the same criticism?​

Well here I am — only a few days since I’ve been given the brief and I’m out visiting a pub. Whenever I have the opportunity to get out and visit, I will do so.

Today, for example, I made sure that part of my visit to Stoke included a trip to a local pub. It’s important to me to see the diversity of the industry and what’s going on across the trade in different areas of the country.

VAT is a major concern for licensees. Do you plan to address the current disparity between pubs and supermarkets?​

VAT is determined by the Treasury and I know they constantly keep all taxes under review.

At the moment, I’m not aware of any plans to change VAT but, as I say, it is something that is always under review.

Asset of community value have attracted some criticism for being confusing and one-size-​fits-all. What is your take ​on ACVs? ​

I think we’re very much in a new phase after the Localism Act. That’s very much bedding in, and the ability to nominate a pub as an asset of community value (ACV) is a relatively new thing.

I hope that the powers are used by local people sensibly. There will be certain situations where using an ACV is more appropriate than others — that’s why there’s not blanket coverage saying every pub is an ACV.

It is certainly the intention of the policy, wherever possible, to protect pubs and give local people the ability to see what they can do if a pub is going to close. I don’t have a time-frame yet but I am looking at extending the time communities have to purchase assets.

What’s your favourite pub? ​

That’s a difficult question — there’s quite a few pubs that are up there on my list of favourites! The one that stands out for me is the one where my love of pubs started, the Chetwynd Arms in Nuneaton.