ALMR calls on Labour to help save pub industry

Published: 03 October, 2008

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) is calling on Labour to do more to give Britain's pub industry a "much needed jump start".

The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) is calling on Labour to do more to give Britain's pub industry a "much needed jump start".

It has launched a manifesto on the day MPs return to Westminster, urging Labour to cancel the alcohol duty escalator, cut red tape, act on below-cost supermarket sales, reintroduce empty property relief and extend the stamp duty holiday to pubs.

New projections published today by the ALMR show a dramatic fall in the number of new pubs opening this year.

In 2007 there were 2,500 closures, but 1,091 openings in Great Britain, leaving a shortfall of 1,409 pubs in that year.

The ALMR says that the trend is not only set to continue for 2008 but will worsen. The latest figures show that Great Britain can expect 2,638 pubs to close this year alone, with only 622 new pubs opening, leaving a shortfall of 2,016: a drop of 43% from the previous year.

Last month the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) announced a similarly gloomy outlook for the pub industry.

ALMR chief executive, Nick Bish, said: "What we have now is a 'perfect storm'. On one side the industry is being hit by the credit crunch, just as everyone else is. There is little we can expect or do in this area. But on the other side it is being hit by the culmination of 11 years of unwanted and unwarranted attention from its own government.

"Our figures provide the clearest evidence yet that the market is being restrained by a sea of red tape, whilst being hit with alcohol duty rises and pestered by unnecessary government interference."

Bish continued: "Our industry is willing but not able to grow. It's time the Government sits up and listens to publicans. If adopted, our Pub Manifesto proposals would create an environment where pub and bar entrepreneurs can really prosper."

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