The British Pub Confederation – a new national confederation of pub organisations – has been established to bring together many leading pro-pub groups to provide a strong voice for Britain’s pubs and publicans, ensuring that pubs, publicans and pub supporters have a powerful unified voice in campaigning and lobbying the Government on key pub related issues.
The Confederation will bring together organisations who represent licensees, pub supporters and pub goers/customers following the successful Fair Deal for Your Local campaign and replaces the previous Independent Pub Confederation which was established in 2009 to give a stronger voice to non-corporate interests in the pub sector.
Founding members
Twelve organisations are the founding members of the British Pub Confederation: the Fair Pint Campaign, Licensees Supporting Licensees, Justice for Licensees, Punch Tenant Network, Forum of Private Business, Federation of Small Businesses, Pubs Advisory Service, Licensees Unite the Union, GMB, Guild of Master Victuallers, the Scottish Licensed Trade Association and the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group.
The British Pub Confederation is co-ordinated and governed by the Steering Group and each member organisation can appoint two people on the steering group. Non-affiliated members can also be appointed by the steering group. Greg Mulholland MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group has been appointed as Chair of the British Pub Confederation.
Key issues
The British Pub Confederation have agreed Terms of Association, with its key issues of focus – ensuring that the Government implements promised reforms to the large pubco tied model, better protection for pubs from predatory purchasing, fairer taxation for pubs including specific pub specific measures and fairer business rates, a fair and sensible licensing regime and responsible retailing and supermarket pricing. It also intends to work closely with partner organisations in the sector, such as CAMRA, the ALMR, SIBA and Hospitality Ulster.
Commenting, Greg Mulholland, Chair of the British Pub Confederation said:
“I am delighted that these leading pub organisations have come together to form a powerful confederation to ensure that pubs and publicans have a strength and unified voice when speaking to Government and countering self-interested lobbying of vested corporate interests in the pub sector when needed as well as working with any organisations where there is a shared agenda that is clearly pro-pub.
“Following the highly successful Fair Deal for Your Local campaign, there was a widespread feeling that pub-supporting organisations needed to continue having a strong voice nationally, and that is exactly what the British Pub Confederation will do and will campaign together strongly to support, protect and champion British pubs.”