In response to an article by Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA) editor Rob Willock [The fine line between genius and madness], which was itself written in reply to Martin’s recent attack on pubcos, analysts and journalists [Face the brutal facts about pubs and tax], he wrote: “Rob has taken great exception to the one sentence in my article in which I state that ‘even the editor of the main pub newspaper (The PMA)… does not support the VAT Club’.
“Rob states that I am looking for ‘sycophancy’, that I have been ‘taxing my supply chain’ (ie persuading our suppliers to support the VAT Club) and am suffering from ‘madness’. I feel sure that these allegations are untrue, but they’re beside the point. The key issue is that Rob has now confirmed that he does not support the Vat Club and it is self-evident that he has not been campaigning for a VAT reduction, even outside the VAT Club.”
Martin added: “Market research shows that almost 100% of pub tenants support VAT equality with supermarkets, so do the family brewers and Heineken, amongst many others. The question for publicans and the industry is not what Rob and I think of each other. The issue is whether approximate VAT equality with supermarkets is fair and reasonable from the point of view of Government policy generally and whether it is necessary for the survival of the pub industry.
“I and other VAT Club supporters believe equality is necessary, but it appears the editor of the main pub industry magazine does not. In the end others will decide who is right and who is wrong on this issue.”
Recent signatories to VAT Club membership include: Gamestec Leisure, Monster Energy, C&C Group (the producer of Magners cider), Kopparberg, wine importer Hatch Mansfield and Matthew Clark.