ALMR urges pubs to highlight sector importance in letter campaign

04-Jun-2017 - Last updated on 05-Jun-2017 at 10:11 GMT

'Last chance': the ALMR has created a letter for operators to send to parliamentary candidates

Operators need to write to their parliamentary candidates to highlight the “positive economic contributions” pubs make ahead of the general election on 8 June, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) has said.

The industry body has drafted a template letter that operators can download from their website. The ALMR said it had been written to ensure the importance of the pub sector will be “fresh in the minds” of the candidates and at the forefront of debate and policy-making when the new parliament begins.

Last-chance push

ALMR chief executive Kate Nicholls said the letter was an opportunity for pubs and businesses to contact candidates to push for industry support before the vote.

“Businesses can provide candidates with accurate and valuable information showing the contribution being made by the sector at a constituency level,” she said.

“This is a great way to remind hopeful MPs that this sector is a crucial one, and its contributions will be hugely valuable over the course of the parliament and with Brexit looming.”

Keeping 2022 in mind

Nicholls said the template letter offers candidates information on how they can support businesses and potentially win votes.

“Good communication with candidates early on can also help facilitate a good working relationship with the men and women who will be responsible for policy until 2022,” she added.

“Write, email, telephone your candidates, go along to a hustings and talk to these people. If the sector reminds politicians how important we are, then we can hopefully make some friends in Westminster and push hard for the support we deserve.”

Forecast to grow

In its template letter, the ALMR said says that, since the financial crash of 2008, around half of all new jobs have been created by the broader hospitality sector.

“We are forecast to continue to grow faster than the economy as a whole over the next five years and to create an additional 220,000 jobs,” the letter says.

“We are committed to maintaining this positive economic impact but need support from our local representative to realise this in the community.”