By Lucy Ashton
Responding to the announcement of a timetable from the Scottish Government on its implementation date for Tied Pub reform in Scotland, Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “These laws support Scotland’s pubs and this is long awaited and welcome news.
“The need to support Scottish pubs and their tenants has never been greater. It can provide fairness for our publicans, greater choice for Scotland’s pub goers and help support brewing jobs here in Scotland.
“There has been an unbalanced and unfair relationship between large PubCos and Scottish publicans for too long.
“For years, pub tenants in England and Wales have had greater rights in their dealings with big Pubcos and it is important that Scottish publicans will soon get new protections.
“Discredited pub companies have been desperate to block this legislation at every turn and find ways to dodge the new Pubs Code.
“It speaks volumes that the PubCo lobby have used money from Scottish pubs tenants to try and prevent the same Scottish pub tenants from getting new rights. That tells you everything you need to know.
“Instead of working constructively with small Scottish pub tenants to introduce a fairer system, they have been determined to delay and circumvent the new rights Parliament has given their tenants.
“The PubCos who have lost multiple appeals in the courts should be ashamed at their attempts to stand in its way and delay legislation that was passed by the Scottish Parliament three years ago.
“Given the deliberate attempts by the Pubcos to thwart this legislation, the Scottish Government must consider going forward all other avenues available to them in order to ensure fairness for tied pub tenants, and to bring a halt to the unfair practices of huge national and multinational pub companies.”
The Glencairn Lounge in Bridge Street, Dumbarton, is one of the most popular public houses in Dumbarton. Campaigning Glencairn publican Tam Murray with Labour MSPs Jackie Baillie and Neil Bibby.