Farron meets with Guild over the plight of pub owners

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 8th May 2008

Local MP Tim Farron yesterday met with the Guild of Master Victuallers to discuss the plight of the tenant publican. Pubcos are leaving their lessees in dire financial trouble after charging them extortionately high rent prices and leaving little room for negotiation. During the meeting Farron pledged to write to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ask for a meeting with Secretary of State John Hutton.

Many local pubs have closed due to the Pubcos abuse of their market power. Pubs in Kendal, Milnthorpe and Bowland Bridge, for example, have seen their doors closed as a result and many local communities are consequently losing their social centre.

Tim Farron is also calling for a Westminster Debate on the issue to raise awareness and call people to action and writing to the DBERR select committee to ask them to look carefully at the issue.

Tim Farron said:

"The local pub is becoming a thing of the past because of these pubcos. They must be held to account for their pricing, and tenant publicans deserve a better deal.

"The tradition of the Great British pub must be preserved and I intend to do everything I can at a parliamentary level to ensure that this happens."