Pub 2610 p22-23 space leader 21/10/09 16:31 Page 23
www.thepublican.com thePublican Monday 29/10/09 23
Opinion This Week
‘No MP or minister wants to be seen to be backing
a lame horse after all, so surely its time to go on
the offensive with a more positive message. We
are far from dead in the water’
Editor’s Comment by Caroline Nodder
Email carolinen@thepublican.com
As you read this you will already know – hopefully through fed to government and could do more harm than good in the
reading our front page – what the Office of Fair Trading current climate.
(OFT) has decided to do with regards to investigating the At the moment we have the BBPA, ALMR, BII, FLVA, GMV,
relationship between pubcos and their tenants. IPC, Justice for Licensees, Fair Pint, Pub Revolution Move-
Unfortunately this page has to go to the printers before ment, UNITE, GMB… I could probably go on. But are they
that decision has been announced so as I write this I am still representative of our industry’s structure? Do we really need
in the dark. that many groups? And what should they all be saying?
However, I have spent much of the last week talking to My view is that there is likely to be a bit of a Darwinian
various people from within the pub trade about how they trade association revolution over the coming year or so. I
see the future for our industry, whatever the outcome suspect some of the many acronyms above may disappear
from the OFT. and we may end up with a smaller number of groups
The general consensus is that the recent issues that representing more clearly defined sections of the market.
have been raised over the tie have, among other things, And one key element of that will be the message itself.
highlighted a wider problem that we face as an industry in At least three people have said to me recently that the “52
reaching any sort of agreement on our key messages. pubs a week closing” message may actually be damaging us.
The “mediation” process proved that, and indeed it has Word is that Westminster has swallowed it, but as a result
divided the trade into two camps, in effect. This “taking now sees us as a “sunset industry”. My sources suggest that
sides” is unhelpful in my view, but it does show how varied ministers are privately talking of the pub sector as a has-
the make-up of the sector is. It seems highly unlikely been industry, grubby, old-fashioned and past its prime. No
individual licensees, multiple operators, large pubcos, regional MP or minister wants to be seen to be backing a lame horse
brewers and big brewers are ever going to speak as one. So after all, so surely its time to go on the offensive with a
how are all these groups best represented going forward? more positive message. We are far from dead in the water. I
It was suggested to me last week that groups which know that from speaking to licensees and pub companies
have in the past tried to represent a variety of different across the country who all agree that while we live in
interests have thus far ended up watering down their challenging times the best is yet to come and good
communications so that they don’t upset any of them. But operators are continuing to grow their businesses. When the
this kind of compromise can lead to a weak message being going gets tough, the tough really do get going.
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