Unity is strength

Phil Dixon advocates using the wealth of star talent in the trade to take on the job of communicating about the real issues

I have a confession to make. I committed the ultimate sin in 2007. Yes, I bought the Daily Mail. Well, it did contain a free Great War DVD offer. The paper that allegedly may have had a soft spot for Mr Hitler has certainly got it in for the licensed trade.

Boozy Britons sink 37 bottles of whisky a year, screamed the paper on 23 October, 2007. Apparently - according to 22 leading alcohol charities - we consume 11.4 litres of alcohol per person (over 15 years of age) per annum, which in European and Daily Mail terms is a disgrace. So where are we in the European boozers' chart? Tucked away at 13th behind those notorious drinkers the Danes, who

are ranked in 10th place (12.1 litres) the French in ninth (12.3), and the wild Slovenians in sixth (13.5).

Guess who comes out on top? Think stag weekends, all-night partying, suburban sex clubs, pornography in newsagents, famous breweries and... you'd be wrong. The country with the heaviest drinking is Luxembourg, where 58% more alcohol is consumed per person than in the UK. Apart from the distinction of having four Eurovision Song Contest winners, that may be their only claim to fame. Alcohol charities please note that Luxembourg bar prices, according to the Rough Guide et al, are much higher than the UK's.

Am I missing something? The Daily Mail implies we are drinking more, but we ac-

tually consumed 11.5 litres per head in 2004. The "old truth and a good story" cliché comes to mind.

However, I must agree it's disgraceful and totally unacceptable that we are not included in the top 10. In the early 1980s, Belgium took the accolade for a year as the world's number one in terms of beer consumption. The population must have been confused by seeing the words "Belgium" and "number one" in the same sentence. The (West) Germans, who had lost their crown, had a national campaign to win it back: "Support the Fatherland - have another beer for breakfast." The Germans still harbour conspiracy theories that current world champions, the Czechs, deliberately split their country in half because the Slovaks drank far less beer.

All together now

I suspect the assault from the health lobby will continue unabated. One question does come to mind. If the 22 alcohol charities can unite to form a single campaigning body, why can't our trade bodies do likewise? Have you ever tried explaining to someone the difference between the BBPA, ALMR, BEDA, BII, FLVA, GMV, BISL, APAS and IFB?

What I find disturbing is how we allow the opponents of our sector to attack us as the "drinks/alcohol industry". We are a far more complex entity than a simple "drinks industry" and should reflect this in all we do. For a start, why not establish a National Hospitality and Tourism Forum?

How about putting egos aside and having an all-embracing group with specific areas of responsibility: British Beer & Pub Association's Rob Hayward on tax, BII's John McNamara on social responsibility, the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers' Nick Bish on post-smoking issues, and the Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations' Tony Payne CBE on employment law? By permitting ourselves to be portrayed as "the drinks industry", we fail on all fronts.

"An anti-alcohol charity chief executive officer today lambasted the hospitality and tourist industry" is where the debate needs to be - because that reflects more of what we truly represent as a sector.

Star performers

While not wishing to imply criticism of the performance of some luminaries employed by trade associations, there is a difference between a spokesperson for organisation X and a real human being from the front line.

We have a wealth of star talent in the trade that we should exploit. If I had to take someone along to meet representatives of New Labour, I would choose to take Everards managing director Stephen Gould. I accept that from a distance that Barbour jacket may imply that a country squire is on the horizon, but here is someone who by sheer merit, wit and personality has made his way to the top of a company that has commanded respect throughout the land since 1849.

From a New Labour perspective, it gets even better, as Stephen attended a state school - Wulfric Comprehensive, in Staffordshire - an establishment named after a Mercian earl who died in 1010, and who probably resided in one of England's most fashionable locations at that time, Tamworth - but that's another story. Remembered as an advisor to Ethelred the Unready, Wulfric also founded an abbey where monks became famous for their brewery. Yes, Stephen can have no finer claim to our heritage than if he was educated in Burton-upon-Trent.

Alternatively, if you wanted someone to champion our views to the Tories, I'd choose to send Jonathan Neame, who was not so much born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but an entire set of cutlery. In response to the question "What do you do?" he would be able to answer: "I own large parts of Kent

and run Britain's oldest brewery." Razor-

sharp, an impressive orator and great com-pany - he would be ideal. There is also the obvious synergy with the average age of Conservative party members and Shepherd Neame's fondness for "Old Fokkers". Incidentally, in which other reception area do you still find photos of (local MP) Michael Howard and Iain Duncan Smith?

My proposal is simple. We face a determined challenge. It will be organised, united and professional. Let us ensure we adopt this ourselves in our defence and response.

phildixoncmbii@aol.com