Shadow licensing minister Tobias Ellwood has revealed the Tories will ban supermarkets from selling alcohol as a loss-leader if they get into power.
He was speaking at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) Autumn Event held at The Publican's Licensed Business Show in Birmingham.
In a debate, chaired by The Publican's managing editor Daniel Pearce, Ellwood said: "I don¹t want to see any loss-leading of alcohol going on. It won¹t go on in the future."
Ellwood who appeared flustered under questioning from the ALMR crowd also suggested the Tories would produce a licensing manifesto ahead of the election and that he wanted to see a database of all licensees and premises supervisors established to make it clearer if they had a criminal record.
Ellwood also said the Tories wanted to strengthen the power of local authorities to shut down problem pubs, adding that it was wrong that the current appeals process allowed questionable pubs to continue to trade.
On alcohol duty Ellwood who described the UK as "the drunk man of Europe" said he would like to see it raised on higher-alcohol drinks and reduced for lower-ABV products.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems' pub trade spokeswoman Lorely Burt MP said her party was the only one against the alcohol duty escalator.
She added she liked the pubco model because it allowed low-cost entry to the trade but said the cake should be divided more fairly.
And she added that she wanted to see prices of drinks related to the strength of the alcoholic units in question.
Labour MP and chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group John Grogan also said that the trade needed to change its stance on duty and that "Axe the Tax wasn't a slogan that was going to work anytime soon".
He went on to talk about the current debate within the trade about the beer tie and pubco model, adding that he wanted to see "the tie reformed but not abolished".
Grogan praised the ALMR for bringing parties on all sides of the tie debate to the table for the mediation process.
The trade group had "played a blinder,he said.
However, he warned that if the process did not work it would be followed by at least a couple of inquiries into the industry.
ALMR talks tough
ALMR council member Phil Thorley of Thorley Taverns, said the trade body should be more aggressive in its stance towards the government and the mainstream media.
In giving an overview of the group he said it has already become the ³first port of call² among the media for analysis about the pub trade, ahead of the British Beer & Pub Association.
Thorley also announced that the ALMR was launching a membership drive among smaller retailers.
He said the ALMR had found itself at odds with Sky which it dumped out of its membership last year and certain regional brewers in recent months, resulting in them losing "thousands of pounds" worth of sponsorship.
"Membership is a challenge, but we have already welcomed in nine new operators and 10 new supplier members this year," he said.
Licensed Business Show
The Publican's Licensed Business Show is established as one of the major trade events of the year.
For three days at the NEC in Birmingham licensees and head office staff could speak to exhibitors and pick up top tips for improving their businesses.
Visitors had the chance to attend a series of BII workshops, learn more about cask ale at the Real Ale Pavilion and find out how to make the most of their wine offer at the Vintellect Wine Theatre.
Best in the business
The best operations managers in the industry were recognised by the ALMR at the event.
Helen Cook of Novus Leisure and Jim Owthwaite of Punch Taverns were named Area Manager and Business Development Manager of the Year respectively, in the ALMR¹s Operations Managers Awards 2009.
A third award, Rising Star, in the category of Area Manager, was given to Amber Wood of Novus Leisure, ALMR chief executive Nick Bish said: "Every year, the standard of entries is exceptional and the judging process becomes tougher as the quality of finalists and winners gets higher."