Mulholland has urged licensees to donate via the website to help him raise £3,000, to be spent on leaflets, phone calls and further campaigns for stronger planning laws and reduced beer duty.
The page has already drawn support from pub campaign groups Planning 4 Pubs and Protect Pubs, who promised to buy those who helped Mulholland a beer.
Mulholland said: “I’ve been touched by all the messages of support I’ve had from licensees across the country and I’ve also received offers of donations, so we set up a crowdfunding to allow pub licensees and pub campaigners to help if they want to.
“I can’t rely on large donations from big businesses or trade unions. Crowdfunding gives lots of people the chance to make small donations which all add up, as well as being more democratic.”
Crowdfunding raises money by asking a large number of people for small contributions.
Self-styled ‘Pub Champion’ Mulholland was named the MP PMA readers would most like to represent the trade at Westminster. The Lib Dem candidate successfully steered the recent pubs code legislation, including the market only rent clause, through parliament earlier this year and has been an active campaigner for pubs throughout his time as an MP.
Mulholland has been the MP for Leeds North West since 2005, winning a comfortable majority in the last election.