Tied down: The beer tie and its impact on Britain's pubs
Government backs stronger protections for beer-tied pub landlordsArticle
This report makes a new and important contribution to this debate. Its findings are based on a national survey of tied and non-tied publicans undertaken by CGA Strategy in April/May 2011. The survey provides robust quantitative evidence on the pub trade and demonstrates real variations in performance between tied and non-tied pubs.
The local public house is an integral part of Britain's culture and way of life. Outside the home, the pub is the most popular place for British people of all ages and classes to relax and socialise. And yet pubs are under considerable pressure, with the latest figures showing that pubs are closing at a rate of 25 a week.
We believe that the government should act to reform the way the industry operates. The OFT decided not to refer this matter on competition grounds, because it did not find evidence that consumers suffered from a lack of choice in a competitive market. However, even if this matter cannot be pursued on narrow competition grounds, the fact that a significant proportion of publicans appear to be being put under significant financial pressure is matter of serious concern. This is not only because of the personal financial hardship involved but also because the sustainability of vital local amenities is being put under pressure.
Related items
Taken to heart: Inequalities in heart disease in Scotland
More than 7.6 million people across the UK live with cardiovascular disease (CVD), around twice as many as live with Alzheimer’s disease and cancer combined.Skills passports: An essential part of a fair transition
This month, government will publish its Clean Energy Workforce Strategy. This plan covers two aims. First, filling the growing demand for skills in clean energy industries is essential to keep on track to reach the government’s clean power…Fixing the leak: How to end the £22 billion annual taxpayer losses at the Bank of England
The Bank of England increased its interest rates over recent years, aimed at reducing inflation. But this has also had an unintended effect on the Bank of England’s massive government bond buying – ‘quantitative easing’ – programme.