THE government will not try to overturn the outcome of Tuesday night’s vote in the Commons in which an alliance of Liberal-Democrats, Conservative rebels and some Labour MPs won a considerable victory on behalf of pub landlords and their customers.

The amendment to the Small Business Bill allows landlords to pay a market-only rent instead of rates set by a big pubco or brewery and to buy in beer on the open market. The amendment got through by 284 votes to 269. The Bill has its second reading in the House of Lords on December 2 before returning to the Commons for its third and final reading.

Bradford East Liberal-democrat MP David Ward – one of three local MPs who supported it – believes the amended Bill will become law.

He said: “The government tried to divert us by offering a review, but we’ve reviewed this thing to death. I don’t think the government will try to torpedo this – there would be too much anger. A lot of Tories voted for this.

“This measure should save more pubs from closure because more tenants will be able to make a living out of running a pub. They will also have the right to go out into the market and buy in beers that their customers want rather than the beer provided by pubcos which they don’t make.”

Earlier this month Rob Clayton, licensee of the Shipley Pride pub for the past two years, explained that his decision to leave in January was because he and his family were struggling to make ends meet – despite working six days a week .

“It’s down to basic economics really,” he said. “Some products we have to buy are almost double what they are elsewhere. Free houses have a far greater choice.”

Keighley’s Conservative MP Kris Hopkins, the community pubs minister, had warned that the amendment could have “unpredictable impact on the pubs sector and risk delivering a damaging blow to to important employers” which contribute £21 billion to the economy annually.

William Wagstaff, owner of Jacob’s Beerhouse and the New Beehive Inn in Bradford, has been an independent pub owner since 1976. He acknowledged that the amendment would affect the commercial interests of pubcos and some big breweries, but on balance he thought more good than harm would come from it.

He said: “In the past central government brought in Beer Orders to stop big breweries from monopolising the ownership of pubs. But instead of making things better it only made things worse by handing over control to property companies who make their money from property prices increasing and restrictive practices on their tied tenant landlords.

“I think parliament has tried to correct that. It’s amazing how things can swing. This is rather dramatic. It’s great that these iniquities can be changed. It’s a great day for democracy, a great day for pub landlords and a great day for customers.”

It’s also a great day for the Fair Deal For Your Local campaign, whose national policy chairman Mike Cherry wrote to David Ward to express his thanks for liberating tenant landlords from the tie, backed by an independently-assessed fair rent.

“We were delighted that so many MPs from across all sides of the House came forward to support us in order to build a more open and competitive marketplace for tied publicans. This was a great victory for tenants and small businesses in general,” he said.

“As the Bill now moves to the House of Lords we urge you to continue vocally supporting the prospect of giving tenants the opportunity to compete fairly in the market. We also hope that all parties back publicans in their respective 2015 election manifestos.”

Greg Mulholland, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, said: “This was a victory for people power, for common sense and for fairness – and a huge victory for hard-pressed publicans and their customers.

“For too long, the large pubcos have exploited their tenants and taken more than is fair or sustainable from pub profits. Contrary to typically misleading statements from pubcos and their lobbyists, this does not abolish the beer tie. It simply gives tenants the right, at rent review or renewal, to request an independent assessment of their rent and opt to pay that.”

Mr Wagstaff said opponents of the amendment had suggested that 1,400 pubs might be closed.

“That means they will go on the open market and somebody will be able to buy them without the encumbrance of the stupid tie. It will make them more economical to run,” he said. “The more free houses the better.”

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